Six Paths of Rebellion
by Lord Maximus
Summary: Adopted from Kamen Rider Fourze. While battling Madara Naruto is sent into a new world with giant mechanical monsters used by a nation attempting to take over the world. With the aid of a girl named C.C. he plans to stop them by using power of Geass and the Sage of the Six Paths
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto. I have adopted this story from Kamen Rider Fourze after asking permission because I thought it was too interesting to be left unfinished so I will try continuing this story my way so I also acknowledge that the work on the beginning of this chapter belongs to Fourze. The first four chapters will be generally the same as the original but I've added some of my own work to accommodate the recent Naruto chapters. **

**Hope you all enjoy reading it and finding out if it is as good as what was Kamen Rider Fourze intended.**

Xxx

'Awaken.'

He jerked his head, as his eyes blinked open slowly, feeling a cool sensation all over his body. The first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes was that everything was green. No…he realized everything was green from where he was. He was inside a glass tank filled with some green liquid, wearing a white full body suit with multiple bindings to restrain his limbs and a mask of some sort that he soon realized was providing him with air. He glanced around the room and saw it was empty, with only two doors beside each other at the other end.

There were no people, no tables, no chairs, only a metallic floor, walls, and ceiling. The only things in this room were two tanks. One of which held him, while the other held a girl with long flowing green hair wearing the same full body suit as him. And she was looking straight at him with intense yellow eyes that seemed to bore straight into his soul.

'Wh-where am I?' He thought to himself.

The last thing he had remembered was personally fighting Uchiha Madara with his friends. After that, there was a flash of light, and things began getting blurry.

'You're in a Britannian research facility in the Militarized Zone of India. You fell from an opening in the sky and landed right at their feet, where you proceeded to kill more than half the scientists and researchers at this facility using some unknown power, before they finally managed to subdue you with their Knightmares.' A female voice whispered in his mind.

'Was that her? Is she speaking into my mind?' Regardless of how she was doing it, her words were bringing back memories.

He remembered…

_Uchiha Madara attempting to capture the remaining Biju(Tailed Beasts) to revive the Juubi(Ten-Tails), preparing to subjugate the world in Infinite Tsukuyomi as he captured Naruto and Killer B but Naruto was saved by Obito at the last second. He knew that Madara would force him to use his stolen Rinnegan to revive him and when that happened he'd be able to seal the Juubi inside of him. He knew that Madara had Zetsu looking for the other Rinnegan he hid away and he would use it to bind the other Biju and seal them back into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. He couldn't let that happen so he did the only he could do: deny Madara the chance to revive the Juubi._

_Obito Uchiha creating a giant Kamui portal to swallow up everything to prevent Madara from capturing the Kyuubi inside of Naruto. He extracted Shukaku and Gyuki and sealed their chakra inside Naruto with the chakra of the other Biju to prevent Madara from summoning and sealing the Juubi inside his body to gain its power. _

_Everyone hanging on for their lives as they struggled to not be pulled into the dimensional portal._

_Naruto being pulled forward and creating a massively large Odama Rasengan to collide with the portal, sealing it up to stop Madara from chasing after him. _

_He knew he wouldn't be coming back…_

_He had no regrets though…_

_He managed to stop Madara's plans of robbing the world of free will_

_Perhaps the world he left will start over with the very few survivors learning how to make peace like his family had strived to create for centuries._

_He knew he wouldn't be Hokage now but he supposed Sasuke-teme would make a decent one, making sure that history never repeated itself._

_"Naruto-kun!"_

_He remembered hearing Hinata's voice crying out to him as he vanished, smiling at how ironic it was that he had spent his life never being noticed and he never noticed her until it was too late. If he could turn back the clock of time he might try giving her a chance. _

_Maybe if they met again in another life…_

_He fell through and saw only darkness…_

_And then there was light and he was free._

_He remembered being attacked by some kind of giant metal monsters and he tried to fight back but he was weak from the battle with Madara._

_He collapsed as the last of the strength faded from him and he fell into the world of slumber._

It must have been as the girl said.

After he landed here through Kamui, his Odama Rasengan must have discharged and killed the people she mentioned. _'_How long have I been here?'

'Two weeks. I was to be sent to Area 11 a week ago, but they decided to wait and send us together. I know you have power, and I do not believe you will let them use you as a lab rat. My offer to you: form a contract with me, to make my wish come true, and I shall grant you the Power of the King. Accept this contract, and while you live in the world of humans, you shall live unlike any other human. The Power of the King will isolate you. If you are prepared for it…'

_'_Nope. I have more than enough power, and I don't need any more. However, I will help to make your wish come true. You don't need to bribe me for my help_._' Even behind the oxygen mask, Naruto managed to give her a confident smile, one that indicated failure was not an option.

'Admirable, but a contract cannot be formed on unequal terms_._'

'You're going to be stubborn on this, aren't you?' Naruto sourly asked, ignoring how hypocritical it was to call someone else stubborn. 'Fine, I accept your contract. And I'll make sure your wish comes true, that's a promise. And I never go back on my word dattebayo(believe it)!'

The girl allowed herself a small victorious smirk, as she proceeded to grant this boy the power of Geass. As she started the process of forming the connection, something inside the boy resonated against her, trying to prevent her from interfering.

'What is this? How can he be fighting against me?' She thought with sudden frustration.

She wasn't going to let it stop her though. She forced her way through, until she felt the power of Geass take hold in him.

What she didn't expect was the sudden unexpected feeling of pain hitting her.

It was as if the hottest fires suddenly erupted in her body. Unrelenting, uncontrollable pain filled every fiber of her being, causing her body to writhe around wildly in her tank. In her mind she could see images of places she had never seen before even though she had traveled all over the world in her long life.

_A beautiful red haired woman giving birth to a child with blond hair._

_A masked man summoning a giant fox with nine tails to attack the village._

_The boy's parents sacrificing themselves to seal the beast into the child._

_The child being an outcast in his village._

_The child's team being formed._

_A man with long dark hair, gray skin, and sickly yellow eyes grinning evilly as he bit into the neck of the boy's friend with sharp fangs like a snake._

_The boy fighting against a black haired boy with red eyes with three tomoes and a lightning crackling in his hand._

_Eleven figures garbed in black cloaks decorated with red clouds standing as the sun rose behind them._

_Nine beast of power being sealed into a giant statue that changed into a gigantic monster with ten tails and a giant single evil eye glaring down at the world._

_The boy meeting all nine tailed beasts and their human hosts and hearing their names._

_And these tailed beasts surrounding her, glaring down at her._

_"You have some nerve trying to control our host with your so called contract." The nine tailed fox, Kurama growled, scaring her._

_"We are with him and we will protect him from all threats, no matter their intent." The ox-like creature with eight tails, Gyuki spoke._

_"All great power comes with a price. You of all people should know this." The two tailed cat, Matatabi stated._

_"We sense you do not wish to harm him but we will not stand by and let you use him." The seven tailed beetle, Chomei said._

_"The power you seek to benefit yourself will bring about changes that can never be reversed." The three tailed turtle, Isobu said._

_"So be careful, child." The six tailed slug, Saiken softly said._

_"The power you have granted him will affect both your destiny and his." The four tailed ape, Son Goku continued._

_"So watch yourself, little girl, or your dead." The one tailed raccoon like creature, Shukaku commented._

_"Look to our host and he will guide you." The five tailed horse, Kokuo nodded._

_"We will be watching you and your intent." All Biju spoke before vanishing into the dark._

_She now stood seemingly on water and she looked up to see someone else was with her. An old man a long goatee, white hair, and he was garbed in a long white robe with a six black magatama necklace around the high collar floating above what seemed to be water cross legged with the strangest eyes she had ever seen staring at her._

_"Harmony. Unity." The man spoke, holding out his hands and showing his palms. "A power that can only used by one who thinks of his friends, family, and comrades before everything else, including himself. What you sought to pursue in giving power to the one who is my disciple, my descendant, and one who earned his place as my successor to bring peace and order through a contract shall result in what it is to be expected when one with the power of the unconscious imagination forges a deal with the power attained through cooperation, love, and unity. You shall have what you sought but be warned that when the two immortal powers interact they leave unexpected results."_

_In the right palm was a symbol of the sun while the left hand showed a symbol of the moon._

_"The Power of the King and the Eyes of God. Each power can be used for great and terrible things by just themselves. Powers that can give birth to nations, kingdoms, and even a brand new world but it is the user who decides to use them for creation or destruction. Heed my warning; do not allow this power to corrupt you or the good my disciple will try to bring to the world. May he help you find your way and to understand everything and all paths to true life and immortality. I wish you great success and a long life, Cera Celeste."_

_The man vanished but she saw his piercing eyes staring at her as he vanished, seemingly engulfing her with their stare._

After what felt like years, but was in reality only three minutes, the pain had all but left her body, save for the burning sensation in her eyes. She kept trying to force it back, and it pressed her to accept whatever it was attempting to do to her. Unwilling to continue the struggle, she relented, and felt something envelop her eyes. She didn't know or understand what it was but she felt like her eyes were changing, morphing into something different.

Into something that screamed with power.

Naruto, seeing the pain the girl was experiencing, turned to face the glass in front of him. Seemingly acting on instinct his bright ocean blue eyes faded away, to be replaced by a ripple-like pattern of multiple rings around the pupil, with a light purple iris and sclera.

'_Geass._' These words whispered into his mind by something that had burned itself into his mind. '_Absolute Harmony and Unity._'

He didn't know what it what it was but he saw images of a world he did not recognize, white images, a temple, and a man with a cruel smile. He was suddenly filled with a sense of purpose and understanding as he instinctively reached out with this new power. The front portion of the glass tank was blasted open, the broken shards embedding themselves in the wall across the room at least five inches deep. He fell to his knees on the floor, ripping off the oxygen mask and coughing up some of the green liquid from his lungs.

As soon as he felt he could, Naruto stood up and walked over to the girl's cage, smashing his fist into a small panel on the wall beside it. The liquid inside her tank began draining to the bottom, followed by the tank itself descending to let her free. As she fell forward, Naruto moved to catch her in his arms before she hit the ground. He knelt down slowly and stared at her face worriedly, as she didn't seem to be breathing.

His fears were all for naught however, as slowly she opened her eyes to gaze up at him.

With eyes bearing the Rinnegan.

Xxx

"_Target has been located. Enemy Sutherlands are approaching. Permission to engage_?"

"I have no need for them. Deal with them as you will," the woman said, as she observed their approach on the screen.

She was lounging on an elegant couch, a long wooden pipe held in her right hand. She had long golden hair that fell to the small of her back and intense turquoise eyes that projected extreme intelligence, despite currently looking bored.

"Just remember, we're here for whatever they built this place for. Try to leave the facility intact until you recover it."

"_Understood, Rakshata_!"

Xxx

"What's happening?!" A young boy's voice shouted. "What happened to the Sword?! It's been severally damaged!"

The boy walked into what looked like a lab with consoles that were smoking and short-circuiting with lines of data running across the screens.

"Lord V.V." A man wearing a lab coat bowed his head. "We do not know what happened. We've detected a large energy pulse from the Collective Unconscious that's more powerful than anything we've scanned before."

"What?" V.V. asked, his eyes widening at the thought of what the implications meant. 'Are the Gods trying to defend themselves?'

"We're receiving new data on the energy pulse." The attendant continued.

V.V. looked over the data taken from analyzing the mysterious energy pulse that had appeared. "All of our work…Set back a whole year. If anyone was in there they would have been killed. Was this the Gods attempting to destroy the Sword?"

"There is something else, Lord V.V. We detected an energy source in India through our instruments designed to detect Geass usage." The attendant spoke up.

V.V.'s eyes shot up since he knew of only one person in India who might be capable of doing something like this. 'C.C. Is this her work? No, not even she's capable of causing an output of psychic energy as large as this. The Collective Unconscious is somehow behind this, it can't have been done by any mortal. Even one with a Code.'

Did the Gods intervene to save themselves or did they react to something else?

"Get me in contact with Charles now." V.V. ordered.

They had to find out what happened now.

Xxx

"H-how do you have the Rinnegan?" Naruto asked in shock at seeing this girl having the same legendary eyes as Nagato and Madara.

He stared down at her Rinnegan eyes, similar to his own in every way, save for one small detail. Beneath the pupil in her eyes, was a small violet symbol, almost resembling a bird.

It was then that he noticed he could see his own Rinnegan eyes, and he had the same marking under his pupils. "You…we're sharing vision? I have the Rinnegan?!"

'**Interesting turn of events.**' Kurama noted inside Naruto.

'What's going on, Kurama? Why do we have the Rinnegan?' Naruto asked.

'**She tried reach into your mind to give you this power and when she gave you this so-called Geass it affected her as well through the mental link she set up with you. She saw your life, me and the other Biju and the…old man who said something."**

'Old man?' Naruto asked.

'**You know him as the Sage of Sixth Paths.**' Kurama answered, causing Naruto's eyes widen. '**I don't know why she would see him in your mind but I guess since your clan is related to the Senju Clan, one of the old man's descendants perhaps what she saw is a connection to the old man.**'

'Wow. What happened?' Naruto wondered.

**'His power must have reacted to her and somehow gave you both the Rinnegan. The old man said Harmony and Unity.**' Kurama surmised. '**The power she was using was unlike anything I've encountered before but whatever it is it is immensely powerful, enough that it could possibly substitute itself for the old man's spiritual energy. Another reason for why you have the Rinnegan, I sensed some foreign chakra entering your body as you came here. It came from the Uchiha who sent you through the dimensional rift.**'

'Obito?' Naruto's eyes widened. 'I absorbed some of his chakra.'

'**And that chakra mixed with your own, absorbed into your body and this girl's power which is strong enough that it awakened that chakra, merging together and awakening the old man's eyes. Only a combination of his physical and spiritual energy could give you the Rinnegan.**' Kurama finished.

'And why does she have the Rinnegan?' Naruto looked at the girl.

His eyes widened as he could see that she now had a chakra circulatory system and she had as much chakra as he did. If that wasn't odd enough the girl's chakra was purple instead of blue.

'Her chakra, it's purple. I thought chakra in humans was blue.' Naruto honestly was counting down all the weird things happening to him today.

'**The power she used…'**Kurama thought it over. **'She made a contract with you and it made some kind of connection. You inherited the physical energy of the Sage while her own form of spiritual power was strong enough that when it merged with you your own power took hold of the girl at the same time. You gained the strange power she called Geass while she gained the power inside you, thus bringing both powers together and allowing you both to access the Rinnegan. The purple chakra must be the result of the two powers merging and take a closer look at yourself.**'

Naruto looked down at himself and gasped as he saw his own chakra network. 'My chakra, it's purple too!'

'**Harmony and Unity. It's altered your chakra and given this girl her own chakra network that has reserves as large as yours.**'

The girl stared up into the eyes of the boy holding her, noting that his eyes had been changed. While he had been in the tank, he had normal eyes. Now, they were radically different, and not just because of the Geass either. The irises and sclera of his eyes were purple with multiple rings expanding out in a ripple like pattern from the black dot that was the pupil, beneath which the Geass symbol appeared, framing it between its 'wings'.

However, this was not what held her attention.

As she stared up at him, so too was he staring down at her. And she could see herself through his eyes. It was disorienting, having two fields of vision appearing before her, and caused minor dizziness for her. After a minute, she could observe both without complications, and gasped as she saw she possessed the symbol of Geass in both of her now ripple-patterned eyes.

How could this be?

She couldn't possess Geass. It was impossible. Then it dawned on her. She reached up with one hand and pushed aside the hair hiding the symbol that represented her curse and saw with a sudden burst of shock and happiness that it was not there.

"My code is gone? I'm not immortal…?" She asked herself with a slowly forming smile.

'**Depends on her definition of immortal.**'

'What do you mean, Kurama_?_' Naruto asked.

'**Whoever possesses the Rinnegan has the power to control life and death. The old man was almost immortal thanks to his long life span that your clan inherited and his power but he shortened it greatly when he created me and the other Biju. Remember Nagato?**' Kurama explained.

'Yeah.'

'**When he was brought back to life he absorbed my chakra to rejuvenate his body. The old man could have done the same to rejuvenate his weakening body back to its prime but he didn't. He chose to die as an ordinary human.**'

'So the same applies to me and the girl." Naruto realized.

'**Not exactly. There is something different about the Rinnegan you both share. I said whatever power she has is strong enough to substitute itself as the old man's spiritual power but there is something else there. Some kind of power keeping the body alive with an unknown source of energy and she claimed it left her immortal before it was absorbed by your new power. I sense that it has enhanced your life force so you both will be effectively immortal unless you are killed in battle or when you die a very long time from now.**'

'Okay thanks_._' Naruto nodded and looked down at the girl. "I don't know about what a Code is but a wielder of Rinnegan is effectively immortal because its power can control life and death. I can be killed in battle but I will most likely not die of old age."

He carefully sat her up, one arm cradling her shoulders, as the other was placed beneath her knees. The girl hummed in thought at that information. So, according to him, she was still immortal, but no longer invulnerable. And she was neither powerless nor alone anymore. That boy had done something to blast open his tank, and she suspected she might be able to do so as well.

No one would ever hurt or take advantage of her again. Now she could fight back. And here before her, was a boy who would be able to remain with her forever, if death did not take him. "I've decided. My wish is for you to remain by my side eternally. You are not allowed to die, and leave me alone once more."

'_Huh? What the hell is that supposed to mean?_' Naruto thought, bulking at her request. '_Never leave her side? Is she asking me to marry her or something?_'

'**Duh. She's obviously lived for a long time and if there was no one else immortal like her then she must be lonely.**' Kurama explained, shaking his head over Naruto's cluelessness.

'_Still though…_' Naruto thought it over.

He hadn't been able to have a relationship because of the war even though there had been more than a few girls who wished to be with him. He probably would have thought about it if they had survived but he never got the chance. He would have been able to make Pervy Sage's vision of peace come true, but at more reasonable cost than the lives of innocents. For peace in the Elemental Countries, he would willingly walk his path alone until he succeeded.

Now, he was apparently in a new dimension because of Obito's Kamui had worked, unsure whether any of his friends or Madara had actually died when he vanished, and with a girl who would be able to stay with him as long as he was alive.

'**You did agree to this contract.**' Kurama pointed out.

'_Yeah I guess and after all…_' Naruto looked down at the girl with a small smile. "I never go back on my word."

That brought a smirk to her face as she stood up with his assistance. "You can call me C.C. For now, we should work on getting out of here."

As if to confirm her statement, the entire facility was shaken by a powerful explosion, dust falling from the ceiling onto their heads.

"Good plan. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I need my stuff. Do you have any idea where they might have stored my possessions when they brought me here?" He asked as another explosion, this one much closer, shook the facility.

"That door. They took you in there first before sealing you in the tank," C.C. informed him, as she pointed at the right door.

Just a second after she pointed at the door, the left door opened and an armed guard rushed in, before freezing in shock as the two test subjects had been awakened. He raised his rifle to fire, but before he could squeeze the trigger, his entire ribcage was forced through his body and out his back, blood dripping off the broken bones.

Naruto glanced to the green-haired girl beside him who was looking surprised at the result. "It works on people too?"

"Yes. That was Shinra Tensei, one of the abilities unique to the Rinnegan. I'm surprised you were able to use it to that degree on your first try, let alone use it at all since I didn't think your chakra coils were that developed." Naruto explained, remembering his fight with Nagato and somehow instinctively knew the powers the Rinnegan had.

A second guard ran inside and looked at the mutilated body of his comrade and started to run away, until he was forcefully pulled back into the room where Naruto's fist sunk into his stomach, knocking him out cold. "And that was Bansho Ten'in, the ability to attract forces rather than repel them."

He tossed the body aside and made his way into the room she had indicated, spotting his clothes, weapons and scrolls laid out on a long metal table. It seemed they had only gotten as far as opening his shuriken holster before they stopped. He shed the annoying white suit and started redressing himself in his own clothes that were meant for battle. A black and orange jacket over a black T-shirt, orange pants with blue shinobi sandals, and a long red coat with black flames at the bottom.

Finally, he tied his precious hitai-ate around his forehead. He placed his shuriken holster and equipment pouch onto his waist.

He walked back into the room C.C. had been waiting for him, and received an intriguing glance. "Well, it certainly suits you and it's better than the white jumpsuit. When they first brought you in I wondered why some would wear that much orange."

"And what does it say of you, having been here longer than I, suspended in that infernal tank?" Naruto countered.

Beside Naruto, a Shadow Clone phased into existence who quickly donned the discarded white suit and transformed into an exact replica of C.C. As if an unspoken order was given to it, the clone walked into C.C.'s former tank, donning the oxygen mask and allowing the tank to reseal around him, as it was once more filled with the green liquid.

"You said this was a Britannian facility. I don't know what that means, as I don't know who or what Britannia is. But if they kept you here, they must need you, and they'll take my Shadow Clone straight to them. From there, it'll summon me to its location so I can get some answers and dish out some pain for trying to experiment on me." Naruto responded to her questioning glance.

"Your clone can…summon you to its location?" C.C. asked intrigued.

"I guess it's another ability of the Rinnegan. That Shadow Clone is connected to me, and I suspect you as well. It can summon anyone bearing the Rinnegan to its location. Whatever this Geass thing you gave me does, somehow I just… know my Shadow Clone is more durable now." Naruto explained, unable to explain how he knew about his new power.

Now he had to contend with a third field of vision that was staring at the plain white walls. This would take some getting used to. C.C. nodded slowly, taking in that information as she worked on getting oriented with three different viewpoints.

"That's understandable. Once you receive the power of Geass, you'll have some instinctual knowledge on how to use it. I keep having the words Harmony and Unity flowing through my mind," She stated calmly.

"That actually helps more than you think. Harmony and Unity… oh this could be fun," Naruto said eagerly, as he darted out through the left door. As the two of them fought their way through the facility, they spotted more guards like the ones who had attacked them, fighting against other soldiers trying to free the captives who had been held here. "What do you think? Go with them?"

C.C. nodded quickly, as they quickly rounded a corner, avoiding a burst of gunfire.

"Britannia has no grounds to build a facility here, as India is controlled by the Chinese Federation. Those are likely their soldiers sent to destroy this place. I would wager they're also looking for whatever this facility was built to study," She said, giving him a meaningful glance.

"I'm going to need some history lessons later it seems. Right now, we might as well go help the people trying to evacuate this place." Naruto peeked around the corner, pulling out a kunai from his equipment pouch and spun it around on his finger.

He rolled out into a crouch, letting the gunfire pass harmlessly over his head, as he threw the kunai straight through the soldier's throat. C.C. raised an eyebrow at the primitive weapon, but couldn't criticize its effectiveness, especially in Naruto's hands, as she blasted three more soldiers through a wall to her right. As she ran after Naruto, she realized she was slowing down, and her breathing was becoming heavy. Why was she so exhausted so soon?

She was pressed back against the wall by Naruto's arm, as he let a soldier run past just enough for Naruto to pierce a kunai through the back of his head. "Tired? It's expected. Shinra Tensei is powerful, but very draining on your chakra reserves and you have to usually five seconds before doing it again. You've used it about ten times, and it seems that's your limit for now. We'll have to build up those reserves of yours when we get out of here."

"Seems like I'm going to need some information from you as well," C.C. remarked. "I need a weapon. Do you have anything beside what you have?"

'I got nothing.' Naruto thought.

'**Not exactly.**' Kurama cut in.

'What do you mean?'

'**The power the old man used to create us, the Creation of All Things. If you have the Rinnegan you can use Ying-Yang combination to create anything.**' Kurama explained.

'But I don't know the hand signs for that.' Naruto pointed out.

'**There are no hand signs. This power combined Yin chakra and Yang chakra to make anything real, inanimate or living. Concentrate on your physical and spiritual energy. I'm sure that whatever this girl did to give you the Rinnegan has allowed you all the powers that the old man had with his eyes.**'

Naruto held out his hand and closed his eyes. There was flash of light for a moment that faded and a kodachi appeared in Naruto's hand, surprising C.C. but the girl took it anyways. It wasn't like she had any chakra left to use anyways, so she needed something.

'Wow. That took a lot.' Naruto was suddenly having to catch his breath.

'**Using the Creation of All Things without proper control takes a lot of chakra.**' Kurama noted.

They continued to navigate through the veritable maze of corridors, Naruto killing Britannian guards with kunai, while C.C. ducked, dodged, and weaved between her enemies, slicing them apart mercilessly. It seemed she had a particular hatred for these men, and he frowned at what they might have done to her to deserve such brutal deaths. Directly ahead of them was the door to the Knightmare launch bay. If they were going to get out of here, it would be through there.

Barreling inside, they found that almost all the Knightmares had already been launched, and a few had been destroyed before they even left.

However, C.C. spotted one in the far corner with a gunned down body just short of it. "Over there. That pilot didn't make it."

Naruto ran over to the massive Sutherland before him and glanced up at it. It was big, but only compared to him. The thing wasn't even half as big as Gamabunta's leg.

"Wow. Do you know how to work this thing?"

"Of course. The grunts like him don't have their Knightmares code-locked. That means I just need to find the…here we go." C.C. stood up from the dead soldier, spinning a key around in her hand. She walked over to the Knightmare's lift and took hold of the handrail, placing a foot onto the lift. She looked over at Naruto who was still watching her with a bit of trepidation. "Oh, don't be a baby. If you've never seen anyone fight inside constructs like this, you're in for quite a show."

"At least Sasori's was human-sized," Naruto grumbled softly as he made his way onto the lift beside her, watching as it carried them up to the seat sticking out of the back.

It was a tight fit, trying to get them both onto it, but in the end, C.C. ended up sitting on Naruto's lap in order for her to pilot it. It didn't take long to convince Naruto of the Knightmare's usefulness.

As soon as they launched, they were in the middle of a battlefield. Knightmare frames on both sides trying to eliminate their enemies. And there was no clear cut winner. The Knightmare frames used by the Britannians at this facility had greater numbers, but the opposition seemed to have been made much better, as they were trading roughly one of theirs for every five of the enemy's forces.

C.C. smirked and started moving behind their enemy, firing the gun held in the Sutherland's right arm at their unprotected backs. By the time they realized there was an enemy behind them, they had lost nearly twenty Knightmares. Try as they might, they could not hit her with anything. Gunfire bursts missed, and those odd projectiles attached to cables were all dodged, or even better, grabbed by C.C. and used to hold them still for her to fire upon.

It was partly because of her shared vision with Naruto. While she focused on taking down enemies, Naruto had barely taken his eyes off the factsphere's radar display, letting her see exactly how many more were left and where they were positioned around her.

"Hmm this is fun. We're going to need our own Knightmare after this, one with two seats. Unless you'd rather we keep it to one," she teased, wiggling her hips on Naruto's lap, satisfied when she heard a stifled groan.

"Just focus on the fight. And women have the nerve to call men perverts," he muttered, watching the blue symbols around them rapidly diminish until finally there were none left.

Now all they had to do was hope the Indian forces wouldn't instantly fire upon them. The dark gray Knightmares in front of them leveled their weapons at them, but didn't fire.

A burst of static filled the cockpit until a voice rang out clear. "_Who are you? Identify yourselves!"_

C.C. and Naruto glanced at each other, a silent conversation going on between them from just eye contact, trying to decide what to tell them.

"We're two people this facility was used to experiment on." Naruto finally declared.

There was a long period of silence until the voice came back, much calmer this time. "_Understood. We've been sent to clear out this facility and rescue any prisoners here. We'd like you to come with us to meet someone_."

Before Naruto could respond, C.C. cut in and took the lead on this one. "That's fine. But in exchange, you must leave the rest of the facility intact. Things have been set into motion here that need to proceed. Don't worry. Britannia won't be pleased by it."

"_I've received approval to heed your request. Please allow us to escort you away_."

C.C. moved the Sutherland forward, as it was surrounded on all sides by the gray Knightmare frames, and led away from the still burning research facility.

Xxx

"So you two are the reason that facility was built?" asked the buxom blond Indian woman lying across from them on a couch.

"Well, built for her. They more or less… found me, and decided they'd study us together as a joint project," Naruto said, pointing at C.C.

They had been brought to an underground facility used by Rakshata Chawla and her staff, be they scientists or Knightmare pilots, whose goal was the independence of India. To do that, they'd been sending weapons and equipment to Area 11, more specifically something known as the Six Houses of Kyoto in exchange for a large sum of profits. The Six Houses of Kyoto then distributed them out to resistance groups in their country. Rakshata's group believed that by helping Japan obtain its independence, it would do the same for India.

"And why would Britannia need to devote so much time and effort, not to mention money, studying a single girl? What makes her so special?" Rakshata asked, now sitting upright and staring at C.C. curiously.

Naruto glanced over at C.C. but found her hands clenched on her lap, looking distinctly uncomfortable and pained. He knew that look. He'd seen it many times. Shinobi who had survived long enough to die of old age, always had that look at one point or another.

Being forced to bring up horrific memories of pain and death they've experienced.

"They needed her utilize my abilities," Naruto lied smoothly.

To C.C.'s credit, she managed to limit her shock to just a slight widening of the eyes, before her face took on a neutral expression, as if this wasn't new to her.

"Oh? Do explain that please," Rakshata all but ordered with one slender eyebrow raised.

In response, Naruto activated his Rinnegan, allowing her to see the purple rippled eyes, now bearing a Geass symbol beneath each pupil. "C.C. is the only one who could not only unlock the full limits of my eyes, but take the power on for herself."

C.C. decided to assist Naruto by activating her own Rinnegan, a perfect match to Naruto's.

"Fascinating. I'm assuming then that you can activate or deactivate them at will from your demonstration. And what do they do?" Rakshata asked as she was now leaning over the table, one hand grasping Naruto's chin as she turned his head left and right, carefully examining the unique eyes he now sported.

"I'll tell you my story if you provide me with some information." C.C. observed Naruto from the corner of her eyes.

She wanted to hear of Naruto's life prior to his arrival here as well, though she'd never ask herself. This was a very convenient opportunity.

"Oh and what is it you desire to know? There are, naturally, some things you won't be privy to." Rakshata made a slight wave with her hand, dismissing the armed guards from the room.

As soon as she was sure they were alone, she activated the room's security lockdown.

"World history. What is Britannia? Why do people speak of them with hatred and malice? Why are countries under the control of others? I need to know how things work in this world." Naruto listed off the questions in his mind.

If Rakshata was surprised by his lack of knowledge concerning the world's conquering empire, she didn't comment on it. She merely lost her interested look as she began to explain how Britannia had risen to power, forced their rule on more than half the world already, and were constantly trying to control the rest. She explained their policy of stripping a country and its people of their name, and replacing them with numbers. On and on she went for hours, detailing every tidbit of Britannia's ruling structure, military superiority, and their opinions of non-Britannians.

By the end of her explanation, Naruto's nails had pierced through his palm due to how tightly he was clenching his fists. This dimension…this world…sounded like one elemental country having enough power to conquer the rest. At least back in his world there was some semblance of balance, shaky though it was, between the five bigger nations. As of right now, for all intents and purposes, it seemed as if Britannia had won already.

He could tell there were some things she had skipped in her explanation, but he'd heard enough to consider Britannia his enemy. But he couldn't take down a nation alone. There was no village on his side, and no other shinobi fighting with him on the battlefield.

"How am I supposed to stop them alone?" he muttered under his breath.

"Have you already forgotten our contract, Naruto? You are to remain by my side eternally. That means you are not fighting them alone" C.C. stated firmly.

"Even the two of you can't take Britannia down by yourselves. You'd need an army, and a damn good one too. Forgetting for a moment, that Britannia has the largest army in the world with enough Knightmares to fill it, you have to consider the Knights of the Round as well. People say each member can take down a small army alone, and there are supposedly twelve of them," Rakshata cautioned them, feeling slightly amused.

Many had dreams of ending Britannia's tyranny over the world, and all of them had failed miserably. But this boy…something about him made her believe, if just for a moment, that he could win.

"Now, I believe you owe me a story."

Naruto glanced up at her, and nodded slowly.

He wasn't sure whether she'd believe him, but he knew C.C. would, and he found that was all that mattered to him. "It all started on October 10th in my village…"

From there, he told them all about the Kyuubi's attack, his father's only option, how the villagers treated him and his struggle to become a shinobi. He told her all about his friends, the invasion of Konoha, his best friend and teammate's betrayal, Akatsuki and their desire to obtain the nine Biju, and finally about the 4th Shinobi War started by Obito, mentioning his master's goal to force 'peace' on the world and how Naruto ended up arriving in this dimension.

His tale had taken several hours, and it was well into the night when he finished. C.C. had stayed silent the whole time, but he could see anger, shock, and wonder burning just below the surface in her eyes.

Rakshata had actually snapped her pipe in half sometime during his story and she was calm but intrigued well. "Very well, now that I understand the situation, I believe it is in my best interests to help you. You two want to take down Britannia? Start in Japan. It should be easy to find people willing to fight back there. I've been informed they have the most active resistance groups out of all Britannia's territories."

"We'll need a Knightmare then. Hmm…two actually. And Naruto needs to be taught how to pilot one." C.C. stated. Naruto glanced at her in confusion. He'd been under the assumption they only needed one Knightmare with two seats, and he said as much to C.C.

"Our shared vision could be a huge advantage on the battlefield, Naruto. Two different Knightmares placed properly to ensure an absolute field of vision, would allow us to devastate our enemy," C.C. explained.

"I'll see what I can come up with for your Knightmares and I'll have him in the simulator tomorrow morning. Until they are completed, you two are welcome to stay here, and rooms shall be provided for you." Rakshata said as she stood up to leave, a clear dismissal.

Naruto and C.C. nodded as they stood up and made their way out of the room. They were led down the hallway by the guards and towards a single room containing very little aside from two beds and the bathroom.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Naruto turned to C.C. urgently. "Did you see it?"

She nodded affirmatively. "Britannia is transporting your Shadow Clone out of India."

Xxx

The next morning, Rakshata had decided to give Naruto only basic instruction on how to pilot a Knightmare, before putting him in the simulator. Wanting to have a little fun at his expense, she gave him his test run in the Shen Hu, a Knightmare frame of her own creation that no one had been able to pilot with adequate results.

Her new pipe fell to the ground as her jaw dropped in shock.

Naruto had been able to pilot the Shen Hu almost flawlessly at 96% of its power output. He was moving the agile blue frame as if it was his own body, and the simulator results showed that not a single enemy would have landed so much as a scratch on him, while he would have taken out at least thirty Sutherlands within the first ten seconds of combat. When the simulation ended, she rushed over to him and flat out offered him the Shen Hu as his personal Knightmare, but he declined.

It wasn't that the Shen Hu was deficient. He loved it, and could obviously fight well inside it. But he had his own ideas and designs he and C.C. came up with the night before, that he wanted implemented. Rakshata reluctantly agreed, disappointed that one of her creations was again left without a pilot, and possibly the only one capable of using it. At Naruto's request, she led them to her factory, where she personally oversaw all Knightmare production, and showed him the Sakuradite Core Luminous that would power the Knightmare being built for him.

Naruto walked around the small pink cube several times, looking at it interestedly.

"This thing is what powers the entire Knightmare? Interesting." Naruto had an inspiration the night before.

One thing he remembered from his fight with Nagato was the Asura Path, the dead body that had been converted into something comparable to Sasori's human puppet. The entire body had been filled with metal weapons and parts. Could he turn the Knightmare itself into his Asura Path? Oh that would be fun.

But how to do it? Luckily he had Kurama and the other Biju to help him out.

'**The Knightmare needs your chakra if you want to convert into one of your paths.**' Kurama answered.

'_That simple?_' Naruto asked.

'**Not entirely sure. The old man didn't use much of his powers after he created us but based on the fight with Nagato and Obito the Six Paths technique works almost like how you distributed your chakra to everyone else, much like the old man's idea of Ninshu."**

'You mean Ninjutsu?' Naruto asked.

'**I mean _Ninshu,_ the old man's original idea.**' Kurama growled. '**He originally meant for people to connect their spiritual energy to each other, becoming to understand each other and feel each other's emotions. It was the idiot humans he taught that connected their spiritual energy to their physical energy that became modern day Ninjutsu.**'

'Wow. You're being really talkative about this guy.'

**'He was not some guy. He was the reason we all exist and for some reason you've inherited his power, this making it my responsibility to make sure you don't mess up and stain the old man's legacy. Now that you have the Rinnegan the technique for creating the Six Paths is the same as the old man's idea.**' Kurama mentally shrugged. '**Worth a shot.**'

Slowly, Naruto brought his hands up on either side of the Core Luminous, and closed his eyes.

Rakshata made to warn him that it would be dangerous, even lethal, to touch it with his bare hands, but was silenced by C.C.'s hand over her mouth. "He knows what he's doing, so just watch."

Though Rakshata could not see what Naruto was doing, C.C. could. Tendrils of glowing purple chakra left Naruto's fingertips and began entering the cube, slowly shifting its color from pink to a dark violet.

Naruto frowned, as sweat started beading his forehead. As he was filling this core with his chakra, he was able to feel the massive amount of power it already possessed. He had to interweave his chakra into this cube without destabilizing it or overpowering it. Little by little, he was replacing the Sakuradite in this Core Luminous with his chakra. He had just reached the halfway mark when he began to sense a problem growing in the core.

It was as if the Core Luminous refused to be transformed into a chakra core. The power inside it from the Sakuradite was growing and trying to push his chakra out to prevent any more change. He slowed down the streams of chakra into the cube and felt it becoming calm once more. But this wouldn't be good enough.

A 50-50 ratio of Sakuradite and chakra would not give him the power he needed to utilize a Knightmare as his Asura Path. He pressed on, forcing his chakra into this unstable power source to reach his goal. He now realized that he couldn't eliminate the presence of Sakuradite altogether. He forced more and more chakra into the core, even as he began to feel energy from the Sakuradite entering his hands and burning them from the inside out, though his healing factor was working to mitigate the effects.

As the presence of chakra began to feel complete within the Core Luminous, he suddenly halted the flow and jerked his hands away instantly. He had to lean against the wall to keep standing since it had been exhausting to send a lot of his chakra into the core, but he glanced at the new power source with pride. The dark purple Core Luminous had been heavily enhanced with chakra, leaving it at a 90-10 ratio of chakra to Sakuradite, more than enough to satisfy him. Rakshata stared in amazement as this boy managed to single-handedly alter an existing source of power into a new one.

And it was reading a 5000% increase in power! So many ideas and theories, so much technological advancement had been scrapped because the power required to utilize them was absurd. She would have had to first create technology for her Knightmares that could mitigate their power draw, which would unfortunately also hinder their effectiveness. But this…

With this, Naruto had destroyed the limitations standing in her way. It might be a little crude, just utilizing excessive power for the upgrades she had in mind, but no one would criticize her child once they saw it in action.

She was going to make their Knightmares her masterpieces.

Xxx

Rakshata was as good as her word, and began production of their Knightmares the very next day. C.C. had repeated Naruto's performance, creating a second chakra core which Rakshata had decided to dub Core Radiance. They hardly ever saw the woman for a while, unless she was coming up to them to ask about how their chakra worked and what kinds of things were possible while utilizing it. This gave Naruto ample time to browse through his belongings and tally up his inventory. He had just over twenty shuriken left in his holster, and fourteen regular kunai.

Alongside those, he had ten of his father's Hiraishin kunai, gifts from his father before he was swallowed by Obito's Kamui with instructions on how to use them. He'd need to find a blacksmith to create more of them, but that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon. He had 100 blank tag sheets, his sealing pen and a full bottle of ink he could use to make exploding tags or barrier seals. Finally he had the sealing scroll that contained the larger one his former master, Jiraiya of the Sannin, had used to seal up everything he thought might be useful.

This included scrolls of ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, fuinjutsu, kenjutsu, and a veritable library of Iryo ninjutsu and medical knowledge that he had won in a poker game against Tsunade.

It also happened to include his full published works and the research notes for three more. "Well, at least those books are good for something. No matter where you go, there's sure to be perverts so these should net me some ramen money."

"What books?"

Naruto turned around to see C.C. standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. "They're the most perverted books ever written, and the author is my former sensei. They're almost pure smut, and I think I'll change that before having them republished."

C.C. hummed in thought as she moved to sit beside Naruto on the bed. "It would be a good idea to have a source of income that doesn't require us to go out of our way to work for it. I imagine we wouldn't have much time to do so while also trying to bring down a nation."

"Fair point. I imagine we'll have quite a bit of free time until our Knightmares are finished, so I'll be teaching you to use chakra and ninjutsu. Maybe even kenjutsu as well. I'd hate for my skills to atrophy because I lacked a sparring partner."

C.C.'s eyes gleamed with faint excitement now.

She had wanted to learn how to utilize the power she now possessed. "What's the first step then?"

"Hmm." Naruto thought it over.

What should he start her on? Chakra control exercises seemed the natural way to go, but maybe teaching her Shadow Clone Jutsu would be better so they could start getting more done right away. No, it would be better for her to at least complete the tree, or in this case wall, walking and water walking exercises first.

"You're going to learn to control your chakra. This will also help build up your reserves so you can last longer and do more with it."

C.C. frowned slightly at that, but couldn't fault the logic. She had become exhausted after using that blasting power from her eyes ten times.

With that limit on her, she'd never be able to handle anything more powerful. "Fine. How do I learn to control my chakra?"

Naruto grinned and pointed out the door. "We're going to the gym."

Xxx

C.C. mentally cursed the laughing blonde idiot as she picked herself up from yet another fall. It had sounded so simple when she started. Focus chakra to the feet, climb up the wall without hands. He had told her to use one of his kunai to mark her place and take a running start, but she ignored him, believing she could accomplish this on her first try.

That had led to her first fall of the day.

She'd now been at it for more than three hours, and she had barely made it halfway up the wall. A myriad of scratches adorned the formerly pristine white wall in the gym, as well as dozens of small craters where she had used too much chakra. And to add insult to injury, Naruto had informed her that most females in his old dimension mastered this on their first try.

"Naruto, what am I doing wrong?"

Naruto wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and finally calmed down enough to answer her. "You have almost as much chakra as I do C.C., so it's natural that you're having a harder time controlling it. The first time I learned this, it took me almost three days. You're using too much chakra, and you haven't once had an instant where you used too little. That makes it easier, since it's harder to use more chakra than tone down the amount you use now. Just keep at it. This isn't even the hardest exercise to master yet."

C.C. took in his words of advice and turned back to the wall, glaring at it as if it was her sworn enemy. She took her hands and formed the ram seal once more, concentrating chakra to the soles of her feet. She spun the kunai ring around on her right pointer finger and charged up the wall. She quickly passed her previous mark and made it to the ceiling before her foot cracked the wall once more.

She quickly back flipped down, landing on the ground in a dignified crouch for the first time today. She turned around to hear Naruto applauding her result, which sent a warm feeling rushing through her. Only after she had mastered the three main chakra control exercises, did Naruto feel she was ready to learn ninjutsu. So he spent the next several months teaching C.C. every ninjutsu he could, from the Shadow Clone Jutsu, to the various elemental ninjutsu he knew, as well as the ones Jiraiya had the forethought to write down in his large scroll.

Only after C.C. had learned and mastered everything else, did Naruto start instructing her on how to use the Rasengan and infuse an element into it. She also preferred wind and was still trying to replicate the effects of the Futon: Rasenshuriken with little success. Only after Naruto was satisfied with her progress did he give her a kodachi to call her own. He had practiced with the Creation of All Things technique by making small things, like parts, food, and basic weapons to get a better understanding of how the technique worked and he quickly found that the more he used it the more taxing it was on his chakra reserves so he settled for using a few times a day.

Suffice to say; teaching her kenjutsu was far easier than teaching her ninjutsu, since she seemed to already have some skill with a sword. However, while her strikes had fluidity and grace to them, there was no discernible style or pattern. She was fighting with reactions and instincts, and Naruto had to beat that out of her before she could learn to really fight with kenjutsu on the level of a master.

Xxx

A knocking at the door awoke Naruto from his sleep and he grumbled as he sat up. "The bastard on the other side of this door better have a good reason for waking me up…"

Naruto opened the door and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes to find C.C. standing outside in a white nightgown looking very disturbed. "C.C.?"

There was a look of horror and fear in her eyes that he could only say resembled the look one had when experiencing Tsukuyomi at Uchiha Itachi's hands. He quickly stepped aside and she entered wordlessly, sitting down on the edge of his bed and staring off into the distance. He sat beside her and felt her wrap her arms around his midsection tightly. He knew what was bothering her.

She was watching his Shadow Clone in a Britannian research facility, somewhere in a place called Area 11 which was actually formerly called Japan, the same country that Rakshata mentioned, being experimented on and tortured. C.C., with her newly gained confidence and power, was afraid she could lose it all again. To have control over her own life was of the utmost importance to her, and now she was seeing what would have happened if Naruto had not arrived. Naruto, who was used to such sights from Sasuke and Kakashi who experience the effects of Tsukuyomi, merely felt a sense of detached apathy to the horrific sights.

"C.C., I'll protect you with my life. I promise you this will not happen to you, and I never go back on my word."

She looked up at him, Rinnegan meeting Rinnegan, and saw only determination in his eyes. "Can I stay here tonight?"

He thought it over for a moment, having never been asked that question before, before nodding silently and allowed her to pull him down on the bed as he brought the blankets back over the both of them. "Just close your eyes and focus only on me. Ignore everything that you see and just remember that I'm here."

She closed her eyes and held onto him tighter, and finally allowed herself to rest, comforted in the fact that not only could she fight back now, but that Naruto would be there to save her if it wasn't enough.

Every night for several weeks saw C.C. heading to Naruto's room to get a good night's rest, until finally it became something desired rather than required. She had long since past the point where she needed to be held in his arms to get a full night's rest, but the feeling was quite addictive and she would not willingly part with it.

Naruto wasn't sure what to call them. At first, they hadn't actually done anything more than hold each other while sleeping, but on impulse one morning, he had pressed his lips to hers. She had not been angry, or even irritated. She merely smiled and headed into the bathroom to shower.

And he was sure she put something extra into the sway of her hips while doing so.

From there, things began to change. It started with little things, like holding hands while making their way through the complex, or a massage when the muscles had been strained by a particularly strenuous day of training. That became eating dinner alone in the mess hall after everyone else had long since gone to sleep. And then on his birthday, when she revealed to him her real name, they had finally realized what they were.

Together.

Xxx

"Naruto."

Naruto held his kodachi against C.C.'s and glanced over his shoulder where Rakshata was rushing into the gym.

He pulled his blade away and sheathed it over his shoulder while C.C. did the same with the sheath on her left hip. "What's the problem Rakshata-san?"

"Britannian Knightmares were spotted approaching our facility this morning. They were quickly taken care of, but the pilots were aware of you two. Naturally we couldn't let them leave and report back that the one they have in Japan is a fake, so we brought them inside. I'll leave their fate up to you."

Naruto nodded gratefully. "Thanks, we'll take care of them now. How's the progress on our Knightmares coming?"

"Even with the Core Radiance, progress is slow. Your Knightmares will be the best. I guarantee that, but finding out what we can do with chakra to make that happen is time-consuming. The engineers say that at best, it will be another two months before we begin finalizing them. My expectations though, and those are never wrong, say that it will be five months before you'll have them ready for combat." Rakshata informed him.

Naruto sighed and nodded in understanding. "Alright. Keep us posted. And thanks for the warning about those pilots."

Rakshata nodded and walked out of the gym, heading back to the research and development lab to try and see if she could decipher the handwriting on those notes she and Cecil Croomy had passed back in forth at the Imperial Colchester Institute. She could have sworn Cecile said something about wings.

Naruto watched her walk out before turning to face C.C. "How do you want to deal with these pilots?"

"I'd like to test a theory on them."

Xxx

Naruto sighed impatiently as he leaned against the wall outside the room holding the prisoners. C.C. had said nothing of this theory of hers and had been inside for almost four hours now. Rakshata was sitting on a bench beside him, typing in commands on her laptop to work out the details for some new aspect of their Knightmare frames.

C.C. finally walked out of the room and motioned for Naruto to enter it now. "Dispose of the bodies please. It'll save us a lot of trouble in the long run."

Naruto, already having an idea of what was inside, nodded and headed into the room to burn the dead bodies.

What he didn't expect to see however, was a set of Rinnegan in the eyes of half of the prisoners, while the other half bore the Geass insignia in one of their eyes. "How did she…?"

He shook that thought aside for later and blurred his hands through a set of five hand signs. "**Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu**!" He blew out a large fireball from his mouth, incinerating the bodies and leaving piles of ash on the floor.

As soon as Naruto walked back out, he headed over to C.C. and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Did you give those men the Rinnegan and Geass?"

"Of course I did. And here I was just starting to believe you might be intelligent." C.C. teased with a faint smirk on her face. "You're the one who told me that we would each create our six paths in different ways. Apparently you do so with Shadow Clones, while I have to bestow the Rinnegan upon people I find worthy of becoming one of my six paths."

Naruto had discovered early on that whenever he created a Shadow Clone, or the first six Shadow Clones if he made a large amount, they all carried the Rinnegan. Those six would each have one of the Rinnegan's unique abilities and wouldn't dispel to anything less than a lethal hit. Furthermore, they had the exact same amount of chakra as him, and had his high speed regeneration as well, while any other Shadow Clones still had divided chakra amounts and dispelled upon the first hit. That healing ability was the only thing keeping his last Shadow Clone, held captive in Area 11 by Britannia, alive.

Though her Code was gone, the fusion of Geass and Rinnegan had left C.C. in a unique situation. Even though Naruto had taught her the Shadow Clone Jutsu, she couldn't replicate the results with her Rinnegan. It took three hours of experimentation and trial and error before C.C. found out she could bestow the Rinnegan or Geass onto other living beings, but not both or a combination of the two as she and Naruto had. Any person receiving a Rinnegan from her was connected to both herself and Naruto, and could deactivate it at will, unlike the two of them who had theirs permanently active.

However, that person would only be able to utilize a single ability, whereas she and Naruto could use all six themselves. She wasn't sure if someone who had been given the Rinnegan shared the immortality that she and Naruto possessed, but she suspected that wasn't the case. Finally, a person who had received a Geass from her could have their abilities cancelled or reversed if she so desired.

"Wait, you can give people those eyes of yours? Then why not make me one of your paths?" Rakshata asked curiously.

As the months went on she learned more about Naruto and C.C. including C.C.'s ability to give people a power called Geass and she was just as interested in it as Naruto's powers. She had hoped to study this power, to understand it and see where it had come from and what better way to learn than to experience it herself? C.C. and Naruto shared a glance that said more than real words ever could. It made sense, and this woman was building their Knightmares for free already.

Not to mention, having the woman who created them able to see any possible problems that might arise when they were taken out for combat could save their lives one day.

C.C. turned back to Rakshata and nodded. "Fine. I'll start with you as my first path. Just keep in mind that this will cause you unimaginable pain for the first few minutes."

The Indian scientist blinked slowly, taken aback at the bluntness of that statement for a moment. "And why is that?"

"Because you don't have a chakra circulatory system right now." Naruto cut in. "The Rinnegan needs chakra to be used, so your body will be forced to create a chakra circulatory system from scratch. And as C.C. said, that's not going to be pleasant."

Rakshata tapped the tip of her pipe against her lip in thought before she shrugged. "What's a little pain for something that promises to be highly amusing? Let's go to the med bay before we try it though."

Xxx

It was, as promised, an extremely painful experience for Rakshata. However, she only screamed once before she managed to control herself and grit her teeth for the rest of it. When it was completed, Rakshata had gained the Rinnegan, and carried the ability of the Human Path, or the power to read information from a person's mind through contact, as well as extract their soul. Her vision was linked to both C.C. and Naruto, which meant she was also observing the Britannian Research Facility that Naruto's Shadow Clone was being held captive in.

Thanks to Naruto's assistance in providing Shadow Clones for her, she was able to practice her new-found ability by trying to read the minds of his clones. Her ultimate goal was to be able to read minds without extracting the soul unless she wanted it to happen.

Naruto was not fond of the feeling of having a soul extracted, as transmitted to him by his Shadow Clone.

However Rakshata was not a genius for nothing and she finally figured out a way to circumvent the soul extraction. Simply pressing her hand to a person's head did nothing. She had to manually activate the power by channeling chakra to both her eyes and hand. When she was finished, she simply had to stop the flow of chakra to those two areas before lifting her hand up. In order to fully perfect the technique, Rakshata had been put through chakra control exercises.

And C.C. was more than happy to watch her fall over and over again.

Xxx

Naruto ducked under a swing aimed at his head, as he brought his kodachi up to slice his opponent's arm off. C.C. wasn't going to let that happen however, and reversed her grip on her own blade and swung it down, meeting Naruto's with a loud clang, and trying to press forward. Try as she might, she could not press the blade lock to her advantage. However, neither could Naruto, and she felt proud that her physical regime placed her on even grounds with her love.

He broke off the sword lock so suddenly, that C.C. stumbled forward from the lack of an opposite force against her blade.

Naruto took this moment to step around behind her, and place the edge of his blade against her throat. "I win again."

C.C. blew the strands of her green hair out of her eyes, and sheathed her kodachi on her waist. "The record is 51 and 49. That's probably as close as anyone will get to beating you."

"Funny. The same thing happened with my sensei and his 'eternal rival'. Come on. Let's get some breakfast and meet up with Rakshata to see our completed Knightmares." Naruto said with a smile, holding out his hand to help her up.

She took his hand, using it to stand up, but did not let him go as they made their way into the mess hall. Scientists and soldiers they met along the way offered them cheerful greetings, each one having gotten to know the duo to some extent in the last nine months. By now, the people serving food had learned to have at least six bowls of piping hot ramen waiting for Naruto when he arrived, as well as a full pizza for C.C.

They had only just sat down, when Rakshata joined them at their table, smiling at them with success. Naruto sighed, denied the enjoyment of his ramen for a few minutes as he started discussing the improvements Rakshata had made. C.C. on the other hand, felt no desire to stop eating her delicious pizza, and simply let Naruto handle the discussion. After all, she had already done a favor for the intelligent Indian scientist by granting her the Rinnegan.

Finished with her meal, she waited for Naruto to thoroughly devour the bowls of ramen in front of him before allowing Rakshata to lead them to the launch bay where their personal Knightmares were stored. It seemed she really wanted to play up the drama, as the lights were all off, and both towering figures were covered by a large black sheet.

"Hm?"C.C. stopped suddenly, and glanced at Naruto who nodded.

The Shadow Clone's view had changed. It was being moved inside a large circular canister that was stored inside a truck. Britannia was moving 'her' somewhere else.

"Are you two ready to see my masterpieces, my most beautiful and talented children? Those new cores you two created have made this all possible. However, I've had a few of my pilots run simulation tests in them, and not a single one got above 1% power output. I don't think anyone but you two can use them." Rakshata said impressed.

Naruto nodded, having expected something like that. "We put our own chakra into them, and it runs through every part of the frame, assuming you followed our specifications to the letter. Once we're inside, they'll pretty much be our bodies. Frankly, I'm surprised those pilots got even that much."

"Nothing short of excellence is good enough to be in my employ. Now, let's start with C.C.'s Knightmare, as I want to save yours for last. C.C., allow me to introduce you to…Shinryoku."

The launch bay's spotlights turned on over one of the Knightmare frames as cables released the black sheet over it. Shinryoku turned out to be a large sixteen-foot Knightmare with a dark forest green and black color design. The armor on its chest, arms and legs seemed both durable and ornamental, with three Factsphere Sensors in total, one on each shoulder and the third directly on the chest.

The landspinner propulsion systems were folded directly into the back of the leg, rather than just resting beside or against them. The head was covered with a leaf-shaped spike that hung down slightly over the face, with the point positioned between the two narrowed eyes. Shinryoku had a total of four slash harkens, one on each side of the chest, and one on the top of each wrist.

On the underside of each wrist was an ejector port that carried Shinryoku's main weapons: Harken Fans. The large battle fans were comprised of ten flat slash Harken blades all connected together by Rakshata's ingenious creation: the Section Booster. With it, C.C. would be able to launch the slash Harken blades one at a time, in small groups, or all ten at once. Alternatively, the Harken Fans could be used as slashing weapons against other Knightmares due to their usage of MVS technology while combined.

The palm of each hand had a circular emitter that would be used for any chakra based attacks, but Rakshata had taken it a step further and implemented radiant wave technology into it as well. Attached to the Shinryoku's left hip was a long MVS kodachi in a brilliant black and green sheath. Finally, on the back were two large green joints that were currently folded down together. Rakshata smiled proudly as she boasted about how she had managed to do what other Knightmare designers had been trying to do for years. She had given Knightmares flight.

C.C. was staring up at her new Knightmare frame with pride until she was snapped out of her admiration by Rakshata, who handed her the key shaped like a green leaf resembling the symbol on Naruto's hitai-ate and a pair of black and green gloves.

"What are these for?" C.C. asked.

"Those are gloves I designed specifically for you two. While wearing them, you can send chakra from your own body into your Knightmare, or control the flow, shape, and element of the Knightmare's chakra for ninjutsu. That will eliminate the need for hand signs thankfully, so you don't need to stop moving your Knightmare while attacking."

C.C. and Naruto both looked impressed at the gloves, as C.C. slipped them on. She could instantly feel her chakra flowing into and through these gloves, and knew it would be a simple matter to send that chakra into her Knightmare.

"Now then Naruto, let me introduce you to my masterpiece. I proudly present to you…Seizan!" With a sweeping gesture of her hand, the second set of spotlights activated over the remaining Knightmare frame, and the cables holding up the black sheet disengaged.

Seizan was a larger eighteen-foot Knightmare utilizing a dark blue and black color scheme. It appeared that Seizan and Shinryoku had intended to be built as twins, with only a few differences between them. The height and color were two of the more obvious ones, but Seizan also had six slash harkens instead of four on it. There was one on each shoulder, one on each side of the chest, and one on top of each wrist.

Like Shinryoku, there was an ejector port on the underside of each wrist, though these brought out a pair of MVS daggers shaped like his father's Hiraishin kunai. A nigh indestructible cable was attached to the ring at the base of the kunai, which was powered by an internal Harken booster. The kunai could be ejected or retracted near instantaneously, thrown into an enemy Knightmare, or kept in Seizan's hands for melee purposes. Unfortunately, due to the sturdy, inflexible material the cable was made of, the MVS daggers could only be thrown in straight paths.

Seizan also had an energy emitter on the palm of each hand, and a pair of MVS kodachi attached to either side of the cockpit. Naruto was eager to see the combination of chakra and radiant wave energy when used in ninjutsu. Finally, like Shinryoku, Seizan had a pair of joints on the back that were currently folded down.

"So? What do you think, Naruto? Are you impressed by my brilliance?" Rakshata asked with a smirk, as she handed him his key, which was shaped like a dark blue lightning bolt and a pair of gloves which were black and blue.

"I'm astounded. They look amazing, and way more powerful than those Sutherlands Britannia used." Naruto replied, staring up at the face of his new Knightmare as he slipped on his own gloves.

"Britannia doesn't provide excellent Knightmares for its common soldiers. It reserves the best for the Knights of the Round, and the royal family. However, having not personally seen either of those two groups in combat, I can't say with any degree of certainty how you two would fare against them." Rakshata finished slightly worried.

After having created such beautiful children, she would be furious if anyone dared ruin them in combat.

"That's the fun of battle isn't it? Pitting the best you have against your enemy and seeing who will emerge victorious." Naruto and C.C. walked over to their Knightmares and started ascending via the lifts to the cockpit.

Both of the Knightmares utilized a motorcycle-style seat, rather than the upright position Britannia preferred for their Knightmares. As soon as Naruto inserted his key and entered in his code, he felt Seizan thrumming with power. The chakra powering this frame, via something resembling a chakra circulatory system, was coursing through him as well, by his hands grasping the controls. As the Knightmare came fully online, he noticed he was seeing through another point of view, and realized that he was seeing through his Knightmare's eyes as well.

That was until C.C.'s Knightmare came online, which added his 6th total point of view.

Rakshata swelled with pride as she saw the Rinnegan appear in the eyes of the two Knightmare frames. She wasn't sure if Naruto's theory would work, but now that it had, she was hoping to personally see the carnage they would wreak. The wing joints on each Knightmare unfolded to reveal a set of energy wings. Seizan had a total of six dark blue energy feathers on each wing, while Shinryoku had five dark green feathers on each wing.

Naruto was about to power down his Knightmare and go celebrate with some ramen until a burst of information filled his mind.

He thumbed the button to the com system and opened a channel between Seizan and Shinryoku. "C.C. my Shadow Clone is about to summon you to his location. It looks like he's got some boy with him as well. What's weird though is that my Shadow Clones suggests granting this kid a Geass."

That brought forth a thoughtful hum from C.C. Naruto's Shadow Clone possessed a higher level of individual thought and personality than the standard quality, and thus could come to their own decisions or conclusions that Naruto himself would reach eventually. She was inspecting the boy through her connected vision and Naruto sensed emotions of recognition from her.

"You know him?" Naruto asked.

"He's the son of the late Marianne vi Britannia, fifth wife of the Emperor and a member of the Knights of the Round." C.C. answered with a small grin. "I've known about him since the day he was born. He was sent to Japan along with his sister as political hostages after their mother was killed and it seems he's managed to survive all this time. To think him of all people might be getting a Geass, this is very interesting."

The boy was younger than Naruto, and appeared to be nothing more than a twig. There didn't seem to be any muscle on him at all. Still though, the fact that Naruto's Shadow Clone was asking her to grant him of all people to grant him a Geass was a little funny and she wondered if this was Fate setting this up for them. Only a few moments later she felt a distant pull in her body and allowed it to take her.

What she didn't expect was for Shinryoku to be pulled along as well

Rakshata openly gaped as she saw both her precious Knightmare and C.C. vanish in a massive plume of smoke that quickly filled the launch bay. Coughing, she staggered over to the emergency hatch release and all but slammed her hand down on the button. The bay doors slid down, allowing the smoke to be drawn out of the building. As soon as the smoke was gone, she was about to reseal the door, but stopped as she figured Naruto would likely be going in the same way.

Naruto blinked. Once. Twice. Three times in shock.

Then a massive grin appeared on his face. "Oh if our Knightmares can be summoned, we could appear anywhere on the battlefield at a moment's notice."

He watched interestedly as C.C. in her Knightmare appeared in some underground tunnel, with his clone and the boy behind her while a small group of soldiers was in front of her. Wait never mind, she stepped on them. Apparently she was disembarking from Shinryoku and walked over to the boy. Not for the first time, was he cursing the lack of sound to go along with the sight.

Apparently the boy was getting pretty heated in his conversation with C.C., who merely looked bored.

It seemed she had relented, for she pressed a finger against his forehead, and granted him the power of Geass. The boy was clutching his forehead in pain for at least a minute, until he stood up straight with a glowing red sigil in his left eye. It was at that moment that a Sutherland came crashing through the opposite wall, with its rifle aimed directly at the group. His Shadow Clone sped through the five hand signs for the Kuchiyose no Jutsu, bringing a smirk to his face.

It was time to introduce Britannia to Uzumaki Naruto.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto. I have adopted this story from Kamen Rider Fourze after asking permission because I thought it was too interesting to be left unfinished so I will try continuing this story my way. I also acknowledge that most of work in the beginning of this story belongs to Fourze. The first four chapters will be generally the same as the original but I've added some of my own work to accommodate the recent Naruto chapters and to show my own ideas. **

**Hope you all enjoy reading it and finding out if it is as good as what was Kamen Rider Fourze intended.**

Xxx

"General Bartley, we have loaded the subject onto the truck. Will you be personally delivering her to His Majesty?"

"No," the large and balding Britannian general denied. "We have lower, less important people to do that. In fact let's bring them in now. The faster we can get her delivered, the better."

"But sir!" the scientist protested. "What will we tell the drivers they're delivering?"

Bartley rubbed a hand across his chin as he considered his answer. He looked over at the now sealed capsule and snapped his fingers. "We'll call it a chemical weapon, poison gas."

"Wouldn't that negatively affect His Majesty's reputation though, having poison gas delivered to him?"

"Don't be stupid! He's not going to be seen receiving it! We're just sending it to the Viceroy's Palace where some no-name soldier will discretely take it inside. No one needs to know that His Majesty was involved in any way. Send in the drivers!" Bartley called out to the guards.

The door to the garage opened up and two people wearing large blue coats and caps walked in. The one on the right was significantly shorter than her partner, and a hint of crimson red hair could be seen peeking out from underneath her cap.

The man on the left was taller than Bartley by a full head, and long black hair could be seen reaching halfway down his back. "We're here to deliver the…ah we weren't briefed on what the package was, sir."

Bartley could have sworn he heard a hint of bitter sarcasm on that sir, but passed it off as his imagination from the stress of handling this project. "It's a specially designed chemical weapon. A new type of poison gas, to be more specific, that the viceroy is considering testing on one of the slums those Elevens live in."

The woman clenched her fist tightly and made to move forward, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder from her partner. "She's just eager to get going. We don't get paid until we complete our delivery after all."

Bartley nodded in understanding.

People who did their jobs solely for money were easier to keep in line. "I'll ensure you receive a bonus upon completion."

"Ah, thank you for your… kindness sir. But we really must be going." The two drivers hopped into the truck, as the cargo door was closed around the capsule.

The woman glanced at the man behind the wheel and received a nod of confirmation. The 'extra equipment' had been successfully snuck inside as well. As soon as the garage doors opened, the truck bolted out relatively quickly, bringing out a chuckle from Bartley.

"They must really need that money it seems."

The door to garage banged open by a panting guard. Bartley was just about to berate the man for this, as the common guards weren't meant to be in areas that could lead to them discovering about Project R, but was stopped short by the man's statement.

"Sir, we found the two truck drivers dead outside with their uniforms missing."

"What? That means those two were imposters and they stole…get someone in the air and follow them. I'm going to inform His Majesty about this!" Bartley demanded angrily.

Xxx

"_This is a video of yesterday's terrorist bombing in Osaka. Eight Britannians and fifty-one others were killed in this horrible incident_."

The news being played was completely ignored by all in the room, as the main point of interest was the chess match being played by a Britannian noble against an elderly man. Before the man could make his move, a beeping from the chess timer indicated that his time was up.

"Your time is up," said the man overseeing the match. "From here on, I'd like it to be one move every twenty seconds."

"Very well," the noble agreed, as he was casually filing down his nails with a solid gold nail file.

The elderly man on the other hand, looked shocked and nervous at the new imposed time limit on his game. He knew he couldn't win this match, but his substitute wasn't here yet. And if he didn't move, the game would be lost by default. He slowly moved his hand up towards one of his pieces when the door to the room pushed open, letting in a ray of bright light and two people.

"Hm? Has your substitute arrived?" The noble asked, amused.

"I'm saved. Are things okay at school?" The man asked as he stood up from his seat to greet the two people, now revealed as students.

"What's this? Students?" The nobleman asked, arrogance shining through on his face.

The taller boy stepped into the light around the chessboard, revealing a lean elegant face that could belong to the son of any Britannian with a dignified title. The boy had smooth black hair that hung down to his neck, with a few locks framing his face. They boy's eyes were a deep purple, and shone with a vast intellect that few could match. Though the boy was tall, he was also very thin, with almost no muscle on him.

"Hmph! A nobleman, huh?" he asked with scorn and derision in his voice.

The nobleman slammed down the tip of his file onto the table in irritation, as he regarded this student in a new light, as a possible challenge. "I envy the young. They have so much time on their hands. So much time for regrets… your name?"

"Lelouch Lamperouge."

"Whoa! Whoa! You can't win this no matter what you do, right?" The other boy asked as he inspected the board position.

"Rivalz, in how many minutes should we leave here in order to make our next class?" Lelouch asked the boy with blue hair still wearing his motorcycle helmet and goggles.

"Um, if we really haul ass, about twenty minutes." Rivalz answered after thinking about the shortest possible route back to Ashford Academy.

"In that case, I'll ask you to drive safely on the way back." Lelouch stated confidently. "I'll need nine minutes. Owner, about yesterday's matter…"

"Understood. We'll discuss it," the elderly man said.

"Nine minutes? You have twenty seconds per move." The nobleman said doubtfully.

Lelouch calmly picked up the king and stared the nobleman straight into the eyes. "More than enough."

This brought a look of confusion on his opponent's face. "Hm? You're starting with the king?"

Such a ridiculous and unheard of action caused the nobleman to laugh uproariously, as Lelouch simply smiled and moved the black king into position.

Xxx

"Damn it! After we finally steal this thing! It's all because Tamaki couldn't stick to Naoto's plan and left the bodies right in front of the facility!" The truck driver said, as he changed routes once more to try and avoid those damned gunships.

Xxx

"I love playing nobles! Their pride ensures they pay what they owe you. Besides that, eight minutes, thirty-two seconds is a new record!" Rivalz exclaimed cheerfully as they walked out of the building with a wad of bills being stuffed into his wallet.

"He didn't have much time either," Lelouch stated. "Besides, nobility make such tepid opponents. Their privileged lives just make them parasites."

"So why not try one of the Elevens?" Rivalz asked his friend curiously. "They're not like us Britannians."

He was stopped however, when he heard people around him muttering about some incident. As he turned around, he saw a large screen showing the results of the terrorist bombing until it was replaced with a picture of the Britannian flag.

"_Forgive the delay. It's now time for an address by His Royal Highness Prince Clovis, third prince of the Britannian Empire_." A female announcer declared.

The image of the flag faded away to be replaced by one of the emperor's children, and the viceroy of Area 11, Clovis La Britannia. "_To my imperial subjects_!"

Lelouch narrowed his eyes in hatred and disgust.

Xxx

"_And of course to the many Elevens who cooperate with us_!"

The woman in the stolen Britannian truck narrowed her eyes at the racist term forced upon her people. "We're not Elevens, we're Japanese!"

"_Do you not see? Right now my heart is torn in half! Into a heart filled with sadness and a heart filled with rage! However, as ruler of Area 11, I will not allow terrorism of any kind! The reason being that the battle we fight is a righteous one! A righteous battle to protect the happiness of all! Now then, everyone! Won't you join me in grieving for the eight who died in the line of duty for justice?_"

Xxx

"_And now a moment of silence_."

"Oh? Not gonna join in?" Rivalz asked Lelouch who was currently paying the meter that kept Rivalz's biked locked in their parking space.

"Will you?" Lelouch countered.

Rivalz chuckled slightly and got onto his bike. "I'd be embarrassed."

"Exactly," Lelouch agreed. "Besides, our crying for them won't bring the dead back to life. In the end, it's all just self-satisfaction. No matter how hard you may try, there's no way you can ever change the world."

Xxx

Clovis finally allowed himself to relax upon receiving confirmation that the cameras had shut off.

"You were wonderful, Your Highness! One would never guess you were just enjoying yourself at a party!" A beautiful woman praised.

"The viceroy is the face of Area 11." Clovis responded as two men came to his sides and started removing the cloak he wore for official purposes. "You need to be able to switch roles quickly."

"My, such self-confidence you have!" Another woman said flirtatiously.

"I'm prepared," he corrected her. "Self-confidence? I'm just trying to please the media people."

He glanced over to the left wall where several prominent news reporters were standing to accentuate his point.

"Oh no, no! We're pleased to be of any assistance in your reign, Prince Clovis!" The head journalist denied.

Leaning against the wall by the exit, was a tall man with long blond hair tied back in a ponytail, save the portion hanging down over the left side of his face.

"A sham of a reign." He muttered. Just then, a rather fat soldier came rushing in through the door, heading towards the viceroy with a sense of urgency. "A soldier?" he muttered.

"How boorish of you," Clovis chastised the general running up to him in the middle of the party. Did this man not understand that events like this were critical to gain supporters?

"I beg your pardon Your Highness, but…"

"Another special? I hope the subject matter will be better." The blond man said as he started to exit until he heard the viceroy berate the soldier, and quite angrily too.

Perhaps this might be something quite interesting after all.

"Th-The police have been told it's just medical equipment." General Bartley explained nervously. "If we scramble our entire army, there'll be records…"

"Send out my personal forces! Knightmares as well!" Clovis ordered.

Xxx

"That first move you made…why'd you start with the king?" Rivalz finally asked.

That one move had been stuck in his mind ever since they left. He'd never seen anyone do it before, and Lelouch had actually lost his rook in the process. Still, to pull out victory with the king, two knights and a pawn was amazing.

"If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?" Lelouch asked in response.

"About that…" Rivalz trailed off.

"What?" Lelouch asked.

"Do you want to run a corporation or something?" Rivalz asked bluntly.

"No way. Weird dreams like that will ruin your life…" Lelouch was interrupted by a loud honking behind him, and turned around to see a large truck trying to get past them.

"Whoa! What the hell?" Rivalz exclaimed, as he started speeding up to avoid getting rammed by that monster of a vehicle.

"People just driving along, not a care in the world!" The man inside the truck cursed as he turned the wheel to the left sharply.

"Stop! Not that way!" The girl beside him yelled, but it was too late as the truck rammed through a road block and crashed into a construction zone, kicking up dirt everywhere.

Rivalz, thankful to have a few moments to catch his breath, stopped the motorcycle and glanced over to the left, trying to spot the truck through the thick cloud. "Um…was that our fault?"

"I doubt it…" Lelouch answered back.

He hopped out of the sidecar and glanced over the railing at the crashed truck, expecting to see someone injured coming out of it. What he saw instead were bright blue wisps of some kind of energy leaking out of the hole in the truck's trailer.

"Hey, Lelouch! It looks like our energy line's been cut." Rivalz called out to his friend.

"Right… say, what's that?" Lelouch asked more to himself than to Rivalz. He was distracted from the truck by the loud mutterings of Britannians rushing over to stare at it like some sort of free show.

"What, was there some kind of accident?"

"Probably a drunk driver."

"Idiot!"

"Hey, maybe someone should go help them.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes as he stared at these pathetic people. '_All these fools_!'

Not one of them deserved the life they had. After having lived in Area 11 for so long, constantly looking down on the Elevens, no the Japanese he corrected himself, he highly doubted even one of them remembered how to help someone else out with no thought of good publicity or reward. He tossed his helmet into the sidecar and started running down to the truck, hoping to find someone still alive inside it. He'd also want to find out what that blue energy leaking out was.

"Look! The student rescue team has arrived!"

"Could someone call the police or something" A woman taking pictures with her cell phone asked the crowd.

"Hey! Are you alright?" Lelouch called out to the people inside the truck.

Though a large metal beam had fallen and blocked his path to the doors, he could see two people inside the truck through the windows. Acknowledging that trying to move the beam was futile, he turned around and started climbing up the ladder on the trailer instead.

"Nagata? Nagata!" The woman called out to her unconscious partner just as the airbags finally deflated. The man known as Nagata merely groaned in pain as a reply.

"Hey! Can you hear me in there?" Lelouch called out to the people driving the truck from on top of the trailer.

He looked down through the opening in the trailer and saw a large capsule inside with that same blue energy shining through the cracks on top of it. Likely, it was meant to be opened from the top into four different pieces as he counted the separate sections out. Suddenly the truck sped out in reverse, sending him falling into the truck, where he managed to keep himself upright by bracing against the capsule.

Xxx

The truck rushed past the rest of the construction zone and back onto the highway, where it was quickly spotted and pursued by Britannian VTOL Gunships. "Warning! Surrender now and you still have a chance to defend yourself in court! Surrender at once!"

Despite saying so, the lead gunship lowered its ventral-mounted machine gun and fired rounds at the truck, forcing it to swerve erratically.

"The next rounds will hit you! Surrender at once!"

"They've called out the army! Now what?" Nagata asked his partner desperately.

"That's why I'm here, isn't it?" She asked, pulling off her cap and revealing a head of dark crimson red hair and deep blue eyes.

Xxx

Lelouch had only managed to keep himself stable by standing atop a portion of the capsule itself and wrapping his arms around a large black tube jutting out from it.

"It's dangerous to get out. Sounds like there's trouble out there," Lelouch muttered quietly to himself. "Maybe I can use my cell phone…"

A sudden hissing sound caught his attention, and he hid himself further behind the capsule as a woman came walking out, shedding her blue jacket to reveal a brown sleeveless vest over a red turtleneck sweater also missing its sleeves, and a pair of matching brown shorts.

"Can you enter the subway via the Azabu route?" She asked someone, presumably the man still driving the truck.

"Kallen! Let's use it here!" A voice called out to her.

"That'd mean a slaughter!" She yelled back angrily, as she climbed up a small ladder into some kind of machine in front of the capsule.

"Yeah, you're right," the voice conceded.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes as he stared at that woman, before glancing to her coat and spotted a discarded, or more likely forgotten, handheld transceiver.

Xxx

"The target's moving from the settlement area to the ghetto."

"_Right! Corner them_!"

"Understood!" The lead gunship lowered its main gun once more to fire upon the truck, but was suddenly impaled straight through by a weapon attached to a long cable.

"A slash Harken?" The next pilot exclaimed in surprise.

The door to the back of the truck opened up to reveal a dark red Glasgow model Knightmare, which was already retracting the slash Harken back into the right side of its chest.

"A Knightmare!"

The dark red Knightmare charged out from the back of the truck and onto the road, deploying its landspinners to keep moving.

"You guys know full well how powerful this thing is!" Kallen declared furiously as she skillfully manoeuvred her Glasgow across the highway, dodging machine gun fire from the gunship as she sent one of her slash harkens straight into the cockpit, destroying it completely.

"The rest of you, back off. I'll take this guy." A voice projected out through speakers. It came from within the Knightmare being airlifted over the highway by a Knightmare VTOL. "I don't know where you got that thing, but an old Glasgow will never be able to stop this Sutherland!"

The drop-ship quickly released the purple and red Knightmare, which fired off its own slash Harken to deflect the oncoming one from the Glasgow, as it activated its landspinners and started charging forward.

"Much less a damned Eleven who can't appreciate our Emperor's affection!" The Sutherland fired off a round from its assault rifle into the left shoulder of the red Glasgow before it.

"Kallen, we need to split up! We can't both get killed! Run for it!" Nagata called out to Kallen over the transceiver he held in a vice-like grip.

"But!"

Any further reply Nagata might have made was cut off as another Sutherland rose up from the side of the highway and landed directly in his path. It fired off a few warning shots, one of which pierced the windshield and right through his left shoulder, causing him to swerve a sharp left into the subway tunnels to avoid crashing into it completely.

Kallen tried to fire off her left slash Harken, but a repeated whirring sound informed her that was now impossible. "What's wrong? Damn it!"

"Second hand junk!" The Sutherland raised its stun Tonfa to smash into the Glasgow, until Kallen desperately ejected the entire left arm into the Sutherland, creating an explosion of smoke.

She used the distraction to escape into the subway tunnels and hopefully regroup with Ohgi and the others.

Jeremiah Gottwald smirked in amusement at the Glasgow's desperate ploy. "Oh ho! I like your spirit. However…"

Xxx

Lelouch clicked his tongue in annoyance as the light radiating out from his cell phone showed him zero bars. 'I'm outside my cell phone's range. This darkness and the road surface… we must be speeding along the old subway lines. They're headed for a ghetto somewhere. Exiting will be dangerous. Still… okay I've got it. The conditions are clear. I may not like army protection much, but if I give them a terrorist communicator…'

Lelouch was snapped out of his thoughts as the truck jerked forward so suddenly that he was thrown around inside the trailer. "An accident? Unless it was Britannian forces…"

Try as he might, Nagata could not push the truck further, as the front wheels were now in the empty space separating the track. "N-No good… Please, Ohgi… find me!"

He weakly flipped a switch beneath the dashboard, opening up the side of the trailer.

A soldier hidden in the tunnel glanced over at the truck ahead of him as it opened up its compartment. When he zoomed in and spotted the large metal canister, he clicked into his com three times, the three bursts of static being the code for target located. That was until he spotted someone else examining the canister. Without hesitation, he ran in and delivered a powerful spinning kick, which the man before him only just managed to block with his forearms.

"A… A Britannian," Lelouch muttered as the soldier gripped the front of his uniform and pinned him to the ground.

"Enough with the killing!" The soldier said as he disengaged his gas mask, letting it hang down below his chin. "I can't believe you people would use poison gas!"

"I'm telling you!" Lelouch finally screamed out, as he kicked his right leg out at the soldier atop him, only for said soldier to leap back himself, landing at the opposite end of the trainer. "If there's any poison gas here, it was Britannia that made it, right? You don't want any more deaths? Then obliterate Britannia!"

"Lelouch?" The soldier asked as he removed his helmet, revealing a head of messy brown hair and emerald green eyes. "It's me, Suzaku."

Lelouch blinked in shock as the Japanese boy he had befriended as a child was now standing before him in military garb. "You became a Britannian soldier?"

"And you?" Suzaku countered. "Don't tell me you're…!"

"What are you saying?" Lelouch asked.

Suddenly the capsule between them started hissing, as the locks keeping it sealed were being disengaged. Before he could utter a word of surprise, Lelouch was tackled to the ground with a gas mask being pressed onto his face by Suzaku.

Just as he'd predicted earlier, the canister split open into four pieces, revealing it had not actually contained poison gas as everyone had believed. Inside was a large amount of green liquid and a girl with long green hair, wearing some sort of white suit that bound her arms and legs together. As her eyes made contact with Lelouch's they briefly flashed purple with some sort of design in them, but faded before he could get a definitive look.

"It's not poison gas?" Suzaku asked confusedly, staring at the girl that emerged from the canister.

Lelouch stood up and walked over to the girl, pulling her up and leaning her against his chest. "Answer me, Suzaku. Poison gas? This girl?"

"But that's what we were told in the briefing." Suzaku explained as he unzipped the portion of the suit that was keeping her legs held together.

Suddenly a spotlight flashed on behind them, causing them both to turn around.

"Damn monkey!"

There standing behind them was the entire royal guard.

"Even an honorary Britannian doesn't have the authority to do what you've done!" The commander berated.

"But I was told this was poison gas!" Suzaku protested as he ran over to them.

"You have no right to protest!"

'We're in trouble. This is definitely poison. A deadly poison that will endanger Suzaku's masters if it gets out.' Lelouch concluded as he watched the exchange between Suzaku and the commander.

"However, in reward for your great achievements, I'll be merciful." The commander said, pulling out a standard military pistol from within his jacket. "Private Kururugi, use this to execute the terrorist."

"He's not a terrorist! He's a civilian who got caught up in all this!" Suzaku protested.

"You little! That's an order! Didn't you swear loyalty to Britannia?"

"But… I can't. I won't do it. I won't shoot a civilian. Not him." Suzaku declared firmly, turning around to smile at Lelouch, his brother in all but blood.

"Then die." Suzaku turned his head, but couldn't stop the bullet fired into his side by the commander.

The last thing he heard as everything around him was fading into darkness was Lelouch calling out his name.

"You look like a Britannian student, but it's just not your day," The commander said unapologetically. "After you've retaken the girl, kill the student!"

"Yes, my lord!" The other soldiers replied.

Nagata, lying across the bench seat in the truck, losing himself to blood loss rapidly, scowled as he heard Britannians right outside. "God damned… Britannians…" He moved his right arm over to a small black box, which he pulled down to reveal a silver button. "Long live… Japan."

Nagata pushed the button, and his world went up in flames.

Xxx

"They got away? You call yourselves the royal guard?" Bartley yelled into the com scornfully.

"Forgive me, my lord. The blast was mainly directed upwards, but the bedrock…"

"Do you understand why I only told you people about this?" Bartley demanded, his face developing a fiery red hue, as his fists clenched tightly on the digital map table.

"W-We'll continue the investigation," the commander responded dutifully before cutting off the link.

"The plan has moved to the next phase," Clovis said from his throne behind General Bartley and his other advisers.

"But, Your Highness!"

"If knowledge of this gets out, I'll be disinherited." Clovis said, cutting Bartley off. "Tell them back home we're carrying out a planned urban renewal. As Clovis, third prince of the empire, I order you! Destroy the Shinjuku ghetto!"

The G1 base launched all available Sutherlands into the ghetto, their pilots moving through the area quickly and decisively, eliminating every man, woman, and child they found. Soldiers were dropped in to deal with the Elevens hiding inside buildings that the Knightmares might not be able to accurately deal with, while gunships and tanks were used to herd people running away back into the line of fire.

"Supervisor Jeremiah, General Bartley wants you to take command of area 2…"

"He's got staff officers, right?" Jeremiah interrupted the man speaking to him over the comlink. "It's been ages since I've had this much fun on the front lines!"

He punctuated his statement whist a burst of fire from his Sutherland's machine gun into a group of Elevens hiding behind the rubble from a destroyed building.

Xxx

Lelouch and the girl he had found ran down the subway tunnel as explosions outside shook the walls around them. Lelouch suddenly stopped and glared at girl before him angrily. "What the hell are you? This chaos is all your fault, isn't it? But besides that, Britannia has…they even killed Suzaku!"

"You are Britannian, yet you seem to hate them with a passion. Why is that?"

Lelouch looked up, startled that the formerly silent person beside him had finally spoken up. "They are a cancer on this world, slowly destroying it country by country. You see how they invade, conquer, and rewrite the country and its people to suit their needs! They kill indiscriminately, and breed racism as showing loyalty. Britannia needs to be destroyed, or true peace will never be obtainable!"

"And you believe you could do this? You believe you will be the one to end their reign and bring about an age of peace?" The girl pressed on urgently, as if desperate to hear his answer.

Lelouch didn't even need a second to contemplate that. "If I had the power to end Britannia, I would be the one to destroy them."

"And if you could be granted such a power, you would accept it under the terms of a contract?"

Lelouch would have normally said no right then and there. Things like contracts enforced restrictions and obligations upon a person they were bound to until freed from it. However, to be given the power to make a difference, to bring about change to the current world, was not something he'd pass up. "I would accept your contract."

"Excellent." This time, Lelouch was definitely not seeing things.

The girl's eyes flashed to purple and he now noticed it had several rings moving out from the pupil. An exact duplicate formed beside her, save for the fact that this one had the girl's normal yellow eyes.

"Boss, I wish to summon forth C.C. here, to Area 11. This boy… he's different. I see in him, what people saw in us. He would be worthy of receiving a Geass."

With her message received, the clone dispersed itself in a cloud of smoke, startling Lelouch.

'How did she do that? That second girl literally appeared out of nowhere, as if rising from the shadows. Then the message… it wasn't meant for that duplicate, but for someone else. Somehow this girl used her duplicate as a way to transmit the message across a great distance, considering she had to specifically mention Area 11. She said something about summoning… could she bring in another person like she did with that duplicate? The possibilities with such a power are limitless!'

"Come, we have to keep moving. This tunnel could collapse from damage thanks to those Knightmares, and we don't want to be here when or if it happens." Lelouch nodded wordlessly, silently contemplating the mysterious girl before him as they made their way out of the subway tunnel. They came upon a set of stairs leading up, and started crawling up them slowly to avoid being seen. "Okay… wait here."

Moving at a snail's pace to avoid making a sound, Lelouch moved up the stairs just enough to peek around the corner, where he spotted the royal guard waiting and gunning down any Japanese running inside here to hide.

"Well?" The commander asked as he entered after his soldiers.

"Only looks like Elevens here, sir," one of them answered respectfully.

"Hm." Try as he might, the commander couldn't make anything out in the darkness of the warehouse. "You're sure? The exit comes out here?"

"Yes, sir. It matches up with our map of the old city."

Lelouch was about to turn back around and try to find another exit until he heard the crying of a baby. His eyes widened in shock. Surely they wouldn't kill a baby. But the sound of gunfire a moment later answered that question for him. Just as it seemed the soldiers might be leaving, his phone rang out from his pocket. He snapped his hand down and instantly hung up on the caller but it was too late.

The soldiers rushed over and hauled both him and the girl out, throwing him against the wall even as they kept her back.

"An appropriate location for a terrorist to meet his end, isn't it?" The commander asked the boy mockingly.

"You people!" Lelouch uttered through gritted teeth.

"Still, you did well for a student. As expected of a Britannian! However, your future ends right here." The commander raised the same pistol he had killed Suzaku with and leveled it straight at the boy's heart.

"Like I'll let you!" The girl forced her way through the guards, her hands moving through several intricate motions, before she slammed the palm of her right hand on the ground.

"**Kuchiyose no jutsu**(**Summoning Jutsu**)!"

Just as the gun was fired, a large cloud of smoke appeared between Lelouch and the soldiers, the bullet impacting against something in the smoke that made a loud clang sound. As the smoke finally started to dissipate, it revealed a massive black and green Knightmare standing in front of the soldiers, with the same purple and black ringed eyes the girl had displayed.

Lelouch took a step back as he stared up at this Knightmare. 'It's no Sutherland. It looks far too advanced, and if Britannia had something like this, they wouldn't hesitate to use it. That girl said Kuchiyose… summoning? She actually summoned this thing here? But the expression on her face implies she didn't expect this result either. That means she likely only intended to bring the pilot inside that Knightmare here.'

The massive Knightmare looked around until it spotted the soldiers below it. If Lelouch had to put a word to it, he would have said the Knightmare was looking almost amused at the sight of them, as it literally walked all over them. As soon as they were dead, the Knightmare shut down, and the back hatch opened up, releasing the pilot. It was a girl, another exact copy of the girl beside him.

She took the lift down and walked over to him, inspecting him as if looking for something specific.

"What's so special about you? Why was I told you are deserving of a Geass?" She asked in boredom.

Lelouch glanced at the person standing to his right, hoping the original would answer some questions, but where the girl once was, now stood a blond haired man wearing black orange clothing and a long red coat with flames trailing at the bottom.

The man remained silent, but his dark purple eyes bore into Lelouch's and he realized he'd have to convince this girl himself. "I want to crush Britannia."

"Lots of people want to do that," she said dismissively. "Why you specifically?"

Lelouch clenched his hands tightly as he thought of his sister, that night his mother had died, and being sent here as political prisoners by his father. "Because I know better than anyone else the type of filth Britannia creates. The people who are led to believe they are superior by right of birth. They kill and oppress endlessly, unsatisfied until there is no opposition to their rule. They keep the weak down and only give power to those who would abuse it. The world is dying, and the cause is Britannia! I can do it. I can bring about Britannia's destruction! I just need the power to help me."

C.C. made a show of thinking about it, even though she had already decided.

"Alright, I've decided. I'll grant you the power of Geass and see what you make of it. In exchange, you will form a contract with me, and fulfill a wish of mine to be determined at a later date. At the very least, it will be amusing for me to watch." She reached up with her right hand and pressed two fingers against Lelouch's forehead, a glowing red Geass symbol appearing briefly before it faded away.

The effect was instantaneous, as Lelouch hissed in pain and grabbed his left eye. It felt as if something was searing itself onto his pupil and his screams echoed in the empty warehouse. As the pain slowly dwindled away, Lelouch was left sweating and panting as if he had just run a marathon. As soon as he felt he could, he stood up and dropped his hand away, revealing the red bird-like sigil beneath his left pupil.

Two words repeated themselves in his mind.

Absolute.

Obedience.

A loud explosion blasted through the warehouse door, as a Sutherland smashed its way inside. C.C. took the opportunity created by the convenient smokescreen that pilot had unwittingly created, and got back inside Shinryoku. Naruto's Shadow Clone quickly ran through the same set of hand signs while the cover of smoke was still up.

"**Kuchiyose no jutsu**(**Summoning Technique**)!"

Villetta Nu activated her Factsphere, trying to get a visual on the warehouse she had just blasted into. If she knew her Sutherland was going to create this much smoke, she would have ripped the entrance open with her Knightmare's hands instead of using her rifle. She moved forward cautiously as the smoke was clearing out through the many holes in the roof, but stopped suddenly at what her Factsphere now revealed to her.

There on the ground was the entire royal guard, all dead. In front of them was a Britannian student and two of the most elegant and powerful Knightmares she'd ever seen. Were these new experimental models? Why were they here with this student in the ghetto of all places?

She quickly clicked on her Knightmare's external speakers, but made a show of having her Knightmare lower its rifle. She didn't think she'd survive a fight against those two. "What happened? What's a Britannian student doing here? Answer me, or else I'll…!"

Lelouch scoffed at her implied threat.

"Come out of there. At once!" He ordered, bringing the Geass symbol up in his left eye.

Villetta narrowed her eyes, and wanted to fire a few warning shots to scare this boy, but one glance at the two Knightmares by his side was enough to remind her why this would be stupid. "Who do you think you are?"

Lelouch deactivated his Geass as he came to a realization. 'I see. It doesn't work unless she sees it directly.' "My name is Alan Spacer. My father is a duke, and ordered his personal Knightmares to protect me. My I.D. card's in my breast pocket. After you confirm my identity, I ask for your escort out of the ghetto. These two would be too busy eliminating any terrorists that might bring harm to me."

"A duke!" Villetta muttered in surprise.

And one with enough money and influence to have custom Knightmares built just for his protection. Not to mention the fact that, he had ordered them away to protect his son so easily. That kind of power could be just the thing she needed to fast track her way to a baroness title. The duke would happily do so if she 'selflessly protected a young innocent student from terrorists in the ghetto'.

That had a nice ring to it. She shut down her Sutherland and pulled out the key as her seat slid out the back. She pulled out her sidearm and held it loosely by her side as she descended down to the ground. No need to have the boy report to his father that she threatened him.

"Just wait there. I'll take out your I.D."

"Now hand over your Knightmare to me." Lelouch ordered, catching her eyes with his as he instantly activated his Geass.

A second later, he spotted a red ring around her eyes, a sign that his command had taken hold in her mind.

"Understood. Its number is XG2-IG2D4." She said as she tossed over the key to him.

"Very well." Catching the key, Lelouch walked straight past the woman and climbed into her Sutherland, as the large Knightmares behind him followed his path. The blue and black Knightmare that had also been summoned towered over his Sutherland drastically, but was only just taller than the green and black Knightmare that had saved him. "Will you two be helping me obtain my goals?"

A burst of static filled his new cockpit as they tried to find his com channel.

"Our goal is the end of Britannia. So long as you aim to do that, we'll be fighting with you. My Knightmare is Seizan, and hers is Shinryoku. By the way, that's a very interesting ability your Geass manifested into." That male voice must have belonged to the man who had summoned the other here.

Apparently he not only possessed the ability to summon his partner and their Knightmares, but also to disguise himself perfectly as her. Reminding himself to ponder the usefulness of those abilities later, he moved out into the ghetto using the buildings as cover to avoid being spotted by other Britannian forces.

Xxx

Villetta blinked slowly, unaware that a red glow had just left her eyes. She was standing alone in a warehouse, and her Sutherland was missing. Hadn't there also been someone else here?

"I… what was I...?"

Xxx

"Having a bad day, are we?"

Suzaku blinked his eyes open and was met with a bright white light above him. For a moment, he thought he was dead, but then a flash of pain hit his side and he realized he was still alive.

"Lost your chance to go to heaven, Private Kururugi?" Suzaku glanced at the person who asked him this question and saw a man with light blue hair and glasses smiling amusedly at him.

Standing beside the man was a woman in a dark orange coat with dark purple hair, holding something wrapped in a small cloth.

"Um…where am I?" He asked, trying to sit up, but the pain his side wouldn't allow it.

"Hm? Ah. Still in the Shinjuku ghetto." The man answered.

"With Prince Clovis near, it's probably the safest place there is. This is what protected you, Mr. Suzaku." The woman said, holding out a broken pocket watch to him.

"It deflected the bullet from inside your protective suit." The man explained to Suzaku, who took the watch from her.

This was his father's watch. The one he'd taken for himself when he was ten.

"Is it valuable?" She asked.

"Y-Yeah…" Suzaku answered her quietly.

"Elevens say that gods live inside of objects, don't you? I guess this one…" the man trailed off.

"Is Lelou…what's the situation?" Suzaku mentally cursed himself for his near slip-up.

If the soldiers from before reacted that way to a Britannian student being in the wrong place at the wrong time, then it would be better not to mention him again.

"It looks like the poison gas was released. They say there have been massive casualties among the elevens." The man replied unflinchingly.

"They don't seem to have found the perpetrators yet," the woman added in.

"I see. Not yet…" Suzaku muttered. He now knew from experience that there was no poison gas at all. So if there really had been massive casualties, someone or something else must have caused it.

"Private Kururugi, how much experience do you have in piloting a Knightmare frame?" the man suddenly asked.

Suzaku's eyes widened in shock at the question. He glanced up at the man grinning down at him, as if he had misheard the question. "There's no way an Eleven would be made a knight."

In response, the man lifted up his right hand where a golden key has hanging off his pointer finger. "What if you could?"

Suzaku stared at the key in shock. If this was true, he'd be the first Eleven that would ever be offered a Knightmare of his own. He was ordered to quickly get dressed and follow the duo out of the medical trailer he was now in. As soon as he was out, he was led to a large Knightmare covered by a large black cloth strapped onto a metal stand. Just by looking at it, he could tell this Knightmare easily dwarfed the standard Sutherlands.

"Congratulations! The only Knightmare of its type in the world awaits you! Mount it, and it'll all change. You and your world." The man exclaimed with glee and… pride.

"Whether you want it to or not." The woman finished solemnly.

Xxx

_"Lulu? What have you been up to? Where are you now? If you keep cutting class you'll get held back…"_

"Are you near a TV?" Lelouch asked, cutting off another pointless lecture on the evils of gambling from his fellow student council member, Shirley Fenette.

"_A TV_?"

"Sorry, this is important." Lelouch edged his Sutherland around the corner, but ducked back quickly as two tanks moved down the road.

He could simply take them out here, but then he'd be discovered, and his Sutherland could not take on all the other Britannian forces alone. He could have one of those two advanced Knightmares do it, but he told them to hold back on the fighting. As far as they knew, Britannia had no knowledge of them or the capabilities of their Knightmares. Lelouch wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

_"Jeez. Hang on. Sorry, can I change the channel?"_

"Huh? To what?"

_"The news. Is there anything about Shinjuku?"_

Lelouch punched in codes for the Knightmare's Factsphere to increase its range. This would give him a more accurate reading on the enemy's positioning and numbers across the entire Shinjuku ghetto.

_"The news? Let's see…Nothing on except stuff about traffic restrictions."_

"Why is it restricted?" Lelouch asked.

_"Dunno. They're not saying anything special."_

'I see. They'll finish everyone off, then just release whatever story they want.' He blinked as he picked up an image of several discarded items on the ground before him, probably left behind to escape.

There on the ground was a full chess set, with the black king being the only piece on the board. All the others were simply scattered on the ground around it.

_"You're gambling again, aren't you? I told you before how dangerous that is!"_

"Yeah, I know." Lelouch cut her off.

There was definitely no time or desire to hear that again.

"Oh, and tell my sister I'm going to be late coming home. Bye." He hung up his phone and replaced it in his pocket as he disengaged the cockpit, allowing him to descend to the ground.

_"Where are you going now?"_ C.C. asked through the com.

Lelouch merely picked up all the black chess pieces and held them up in the air for the green Knightmare's eyes to see.

"_You got out for some chess pieces? You're either really stupid, or overly obsessed with that game."_ Naruto remarked as casually as one would discuss the weather.

"I'll admit it's most likely the latter, but it's not obsession. It's just a hobby of mine." Lelouch stored the pieces in his breast pocket as he re-entered his Knightmare. "Listen up. As long as they're trying to suppress this information, it'll be hard for them to call in reinforcements. In short, they have to work with the pieces they now have on the board."

"_You're planning to fight a war, but treating it like a game. Don't do that_." Naruto scolded the teen. "_Real war has unpredictable circumstances that can't be planned for, uneven or unfair odds, and all sorts of other variables that can really fuck up your day. Don't take the situation lightly, and treat this like a real war._"

Lelouch took a moment to consider the man's words and reluctantly admitted he had a point. After all, in chess the only unpredictable element was the human one. And this had nothing but humans fighting in it. He was sure he could get the terrorists to fight for him, but only if he gave them a reason to listen to him.

He had to first prove his worth then. "I acknowledge your point. Follow me up to that building. It's time to recruit my soldiers."

Xxx

Kallen took down yet another gunship, but it didn't seem to matter. No matter how many enemies she eliminated, several more arrived to take their place. She wouldn't be able to save the ghetto alone in just her one-armed Glasgow. It had already been proven that her sole slash Harken was not going to be enough to deal with those damned Sutherlands.

Her Factsphere picked up movement behind her, which turned out to be a pair of Sutherlands, rifles aimed squarely at her back. She started moving just as they started to fire at her. She kept moving through the slums she knew for sure had no innocents in the way, but understood she couldn't keep running forever.

She glanced at her energy bar and cursed. "Only thirty minutes left!"

"_The west entrance_!" A voice called out through her transceiver. She didn't recognize the voice, and she knew Ohgi and the others would be too busy using this time to evacuate civilians. "_Use the train tracks to move over to the west entrance!_"

"Who is this? How do you know this code?" She demanded.

While she realized it might be a trap, surely the Britannian forces knew that such a thing wouldn't be needed against her at this point.

"_It doesn't matter who I am! If you want to win, then trust me_!"

"Win?" Such a notion seemed so utterly impossible that even now, she was questioning this man's sanity.

Still, what other option did she have besides following this stranger's advice or getting herself killed by those Knightmares. She jumped her Knightmare straight up and onto the train tracks he had mentioned, frowning when she saw the two Sutherlands mimic her action.

"Hey! What do I do now?" She looked up as she heard the screeching of a train coming straight at her.

"_Since you trusted me, you get to win. Jump onto the train!_"

"Understood!" She had her Glasgow jump into the air once more, and started leaping forward atop the train cars, as the Sutherland directly behind her was stopped by the train.

The second one made to leap onto the train after her, but was shot out of the air by a pair of slash harkens coming from a hole blasted into the side of the building. Glancing over, she saw a Sutherland, crouched and watching the tracks.

"F-Friendly fire? What's your unit? The enemy is the one-armed one!" Jeremiah Gottwald received a spray of gunfire at his Knightmare in response. "Can it be… a terrorist?"

The landspinner on his Knightmare's right leg was blown off, halting his retreat and leaving him a sitting duck for the red Glasgow that was now charging back at him atop the train. Left with no other option, he activated his cockpit's ejection system and shot out of his Knightmare, the small rocket boosters taking him far out of the fight, before the parachutes deployed.

"You saved me! But how did you get a Sutherland?" She glanced over to the building where her savior was hiding, but found the spot deserted now. "What? Where did he?"

_"Hey! Kallen! What was with that radio message before?"_

Kallen glanced down and spotted Ohgi and the others running along the tracks towards her. "Huh? He contacted you, too?"

"Yeah! Yoshida's group should be here soon, too…" Static came out of the transceiver Ohgi held in his hand, causing him to look at it in anticipation.

_"You're the leader?"_

Ohgi was startled that Kallen's mysterious savior would contact him directly instead of relaying the message to her as he already had, but he was technically in charge of the group with Naoto's passing. "Huh? Yeah."

"_The cargo of the train that's stopped is my gift to you. They're tools for your victory. If you wish to use them and win, then follow my orders_."

Kallen opened up one of the cars with her Knightmare and gasped in surprise. It was filled with inactivated Sutherlands and stockpiles of energy fillers!

"Knightmares!"

"There's more over here!"

"Here, too!"

"This is amazing! Let's hear what he has to say."

'All this? But how?' Kallen thought as she counted six cars with two Sutherlands each. That was enough to outfit them all in fresh new Knightmares. It was a start, but the others weren't as skilled piloting a Knightmare as she was.

"_The woman in the Glasgow."_

The man's voice snapped her into focus once more.

"Y-Yeah?" She asked tentatively, as if disappointing him would suddenly cause all these Sutherlands to vanish before their eyes.

"_Stay where you are. That unit's going to run decoy since the Britannians are already aware there is a red Glasgow opposing them_."

Kallen nodded, already seeing the man's point. "Understood."

"_Energy filler status_?"

"About fifteen minute's worth," she responded after checking her meter once more.

"_Then load a new one in. In ten minutes, I'll contact you with your next instructions_."

Xxx

Lelouch clicked off the transceiver and leaned back against his seat. "This is kind of nerve-wracking." 'Still, I need the determination to succeed. I'm betting not only my life in this battle, but the lives of those people. If I do this right, I should be able to drastically minimize lives lost on our side, if not cut them out altogether.' What he had now was not an army. What he had was a fledgling resistance group that would have to grow to epic proportions if he was to make any significant progress in his goal to crush Britannia.

"_Are you sure you don't want us fighting_?" Naruto asked.

He could see the logic in Lelouch's argument for keeping their presence a secret from their enemy. That didn't mean he had to like it.

"I need you two to position yourselves in the ghetto at the coordinates I'm sending you. Disable your I.F.F tags and take out any opposition you can discretely." Lelouch punched in the coordinates Seizan would be waiting at, followed by Shinryoku's coordinates.

He paused for a moment and clicked on the com once more. "And it's your own fault that you're not fighting, Seizan. Had you not told me to treat this like a real war instead of a game, I wouldn't be holding back my trump cards. Why waste pieces when you're sure just two can get the job done?"

Lelouch shut off communications with him before a reply could be made.

No one scolded him and got away with it

Xxx

"The terrorists are mixed among the general Eleven populace and are mounting a bit of a resistance against us, but it hasn't affected our army's overwhelming superiority." General Bartley reported after having examined the digital map of the settlement they were now currently destroying.

"Of course it hasn't. Besides that…" Clovis trailed off, already knowing his general knew what response he wanted to hear.

Bartley nodded. "Understood. The gas capsule will be…"

"Just as the public thinks," Clovis finished.

"Right. And we'll keep looking for the girl."

Clovis held up a white-gloved hand to his forehead, already feeling the beginning of a migraine coming on. Why was one girl causing him such trouble. It seemed his fate depended heavily on retrieving her before she was found by anyone. Let alone, discover the things she could do. "Yes. Dead or alive, you must find her."

Xxx

"Hey, are you sure about this? Their I.F.F.'s have been stripped. You sure this isn't an enemy trap?" Tamaki Shin'ichiro asked his leader, while he was getting settled inside one of the new Sutherlands.

"The other side has the total advantage in this war. They don't need to set any traps," Ohgi responded through his Knightmare's speakers. "You guys get to your assigned points too."

"_P-1, can you move? The fundamentals shouldn't be different than what you're used to."_

Ohgi quickly grabbed the transceiver before the man decided to cut communications suddenly. "Who are you? At least tell us your name."

"_I can't do that. What if these signals are being intercepted? Anyway, if Q-1 is on schedule, enemy Sutherlands will be reaching you in twenty-three seconds. Probably two of them. Shoot them through the wall_."

Tamaki scoffed at the orders being given to them by a guy too cowardly to reveal his name. "What's he talking about?"

Ohgi set down the transceiver and slotted his Knightmare key in. They really had no choice but to trust this man, and what harm could actually come from shooting through a wall? If there were any civilians left in the area, Britannians would have been here much sooner than this to finish them off.

"Everyone, double check your weapons."

"Hey, are you serious?" Tamaki demanded angrily.

"Just do it Tamaki. We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Unless you'd like to just give up now and be killed?" Ohgi asked sarcastically.

All around him, the rest of the group powered up their Knightmares, and quickly loaded the powerful assault rifles they carried. Even Tamaki begrudgingly got into his own Knightmare and leveled his rifle at the wall in front of them.

"_3…2…1…Fire!_" At his command, Ohgi and the others to fired through the wall, grinning in triumph when he spotted a flash of metal on the other side of the concrete wall.

They kept firing until it was painstakingly obvious both Knightmares had been destroyed. The wall before them had been made into Swiss cheese from the multitude of rounds penetrating it.

Xxx

Lelouch chuckled as his tactical map readout indicated two Knightmares had just been lost. It was fortunate he had received a Knightmare with the Britannian forces clearly labeled as allies. It made it so much easier to manipulate them that way.

'An I.D. can be a double-edged sword,' He mused, holding up a black knight piece. 'Besides, if the terrorists follow my commands, then the path to Clovis will be left clear to me.'

He set down the knight and picked up the transceiver again, clicking it on briefly to relay his message. He highly doubted their signals were being intercepted, but just in case they were, he always turned his off after each message. No need for his voice to be recognized by chance.

Xxx

"_P-1, P-4, P-7! Move 100 meters to the right and fire your slash harkens towards three o'clock._"

"Alright! Do what the voice says people!" Ohgi ordered.

He wasn't sure how, but this man was either predicting the enemy's movements or dictating them himself to ensure their defeat at the hands of his group. Either suited him, and he was starting to believe they could and would come out of this, not only alive, but victorious. The three indicated Knightmares in the group traveled down the road and turned the corner, impaling an oncoming Knightmare with a total of six different slash harkens. Even Tamaki had to grin, dealing such destruction to a Britannian pilot who had been officially trained to use his Knightmare.

Kallen used her own slash Harken to pull her Glasgow up over a roof and land back down on the other side of the building, where she rammed her fist into a Knightmare that had just opened up the protection around its Factsphere.

Xxx

"Sir Glaube has ejected! Frame has been lost!"

"Change codes! They're intercepting our transmissions!" Bartley ordered.

This was bad. He'd been watching signal after signal read out as lost on the battlefield. How could these terrorists be putting up this difficult of a fight?

"We have! Four times already!"

"Do it again!" he ordered.

"This failure is unacceptable!" Clovis yelled out in the command center, outraged.

A bunch of Elevens were getting the best of the highly trained Britannian military.

Worse, it was making him look foolish!

"_Hello there_!"

Directly on the screen in front of him, a video call from Lloyd Asplund, the head of the Britannian Special Research Division, or Camelot, covered up the tactical map he'd been observing, where his forces were shown to be dwindling. He wasn't sure this image was an improvement, especially with that annoying smile on the man's face.

"What is it? We're in the middle of an operation!" Bartley exclaimed in frustration.

"_Then it's time to deploy the A.S.E.E.C's special weapon_." Lloyd reasoned.

"This isn't the time!" Clovis wasn't about to let his older brother's pet project steal all the glory from his area. This battle would be won by the forces under his command.

Xxx

Naruto watched on amusedly as another one of the resistance members fired a shot straight through a tank, utterly destroying it. He could have done that from here, but apparently Lelouch didn't even want these people to know about him or C.C. unless absolutely necessary.

So far, all he'd managed to take out was a single tank and a pair of gunships. "Gah! I need some action! I need a good fight!"

C.C. sent one of the blades from her right Harken fan into a gunship passing overhead, making sure to wait until she could destroy it from behind to avoid being seen. "I have to agree. I'm not finding any challenge in fighting cannon fodder. Look at the bright side though, Naruto."

"Oh and what possible bright side could there be to not being allowed into the fight?" Naruto asked sullenly.

"All this frustration on my part will need to be relieved in some other way. Tonight. By you." C.C. said as if speaking to a mentally deficient child.

"I gathered that much, thank you. You're as subtle as a rhino when you're asking for sex. No wait, you never ask, you just demand." Naruto said dryly with a roll of his eyes that he knew she could see.

"I didn't hear you complaining on your birthday." She remarked teasingly as she retracted both fans into the slots beneath Shinryoku's wrists.

Naruto smirked and moved Seizan further back behind the ruined building. "What can I say? It was practically beat into my head that I shouldn't talk with my mouth full."

Xxx

"Now then, the enemy has five options." Lelouch remarked as he watched Knightmare after Knightmare get wiped out by his tactical advantage and the people following his orders without hesitation. His eyes were drawn to the screen as a ring of enemy Sutherlands started closing in around the position he'd predicted. "Well now, they made an even stupider move than I expected."

"Q-1, your map is accurate, right?" Lelouch asked.

"_Right. For the old town_," Kallen confirmed. "_But, without any current landmarks…"_

"It'll do. Mission number 3." Lelouch ordered.

"_Understood._" Kallen quickly navigated her Glasgow through the ghetto following the basic path from her map and into position where she'd been told to wait.

She looked around and frowned. The area was entirely open, with no cover around her at all. What was she supposed to do here?"

Xxx

"Surround them and concentrate our forces there!" Clovis ordered, tapping a finger on the singular red dot in the middle of the ghetto. It wasn't moving from its position, so he assumed they were lying in wait, ready to ambush his Knightmares. No matter, they would fail when faced with the onslaught of his overwhelming numbers. "The enemy's main force is where the center dot is! Finish them!

Just as his Knightmares were closing in, the red dot suddenly vanished from the map.

"What? The enemy isn't there?" Clovis asked in shock.

Xxx

Kallen counted down the meters her Glasgow was to move forward until she was in position. It had actually taken her a few moments before she finally figured out what the purpose of her moving underground and sending her slash Harken up at the top of the tunnel was. She'd voiced her complaints about being crushed under tons of rubble, but the man had calmly informed her she'd have four seconds to get her Knightmare back above ground at the end of the tunnel.

The man had called it easy.

She finally stopped and turned around, sending her slash Harken into the top of the tunnel, creating a multitude of cracks resembling a spider's web. She immediately retracted it, and started rushing to the end of the tunnel, even as she heard the ground the Sutherlands had been standing on crashing down into the tunnel behind her.

Three seconds, two… at the last second, she sent her Harken shooting into the side of a building and pulled herself up with it, avoiding a quick, and highly embarrassing death being crushed by rubble. If she was going to die, it was going to be either by battle or by age, not by an accident.

Xxx

Lelouch started laughing victoriously as a wave of destruction started spreading out from the point he had sent Q-1 to, taking out almost fifty Knightmares. He couldn't have planned it any more perfectly.

"It worked, didn't it? I can do it! I can! I can defeat Britannia!" He continued laughing at feeling his very first victory.

Xxx

"He's a little messed up isn't he?" Naruto asked as he and C.C. listened to Lelouch's laughing.

C.C. shrugged with a small smile. "He's just enjoying himself."

Xxx

Clovis stepped back in shock, having witnessed the majority of his forces eliminated in a single instant. 'Who… who in God's name am I fighting? Can he be even better than Tohdoh?'

"Lloyd!" Clovis called out seriously.

"_Hmm? Yes, your highness_?"

"Can it win? Will your toy beat them?" Clovis asked desperately.

The least he could hope for now was a Britannian victory. Never mind that he wouldn't get the credit for it, if the Elevens won here, the loss would be placed squarely at his feet.

Lloyd chuckled softly and plastered a confident smirk on his face for the crown prince. "_Your Highness… Please call it Lancelot_."

Xxx

"_Advanced unit weapon Z-0-1 Lancelot, now activating. Lancelot activating. Releasing hatch_." The automated voice rang across the Britannian defensive line, alerting all around to move away from the Camelot truck.

The specialized equipment truck slowly slid out the stand that the Lancelot was attached to, the black sheet fluttering in the wind as it was brought outside for the first time since its creation.

"_Z-0-1 Lancelot, stand by for activation. Pallet extension, initiating_."

"Did you read the manual?" Cecile Croomy, Lloyd's assistant and the main technical engineer working on the prototype Lancelot KMF, asked.

"More or less," Suzaku answered as he started donning the special pilot suit he'd been given. As soon as it was fully zipped up, he felt the suit re-size itself to fit him snugly, but not uncomfortably.

"Well done. You scored in the top class in the simulator."

"Look…About what you said before…" Suzaku started walking out of the medical trailer and out to the equipment truck where he would enter his new Knightmare.

Even now, he couldn't believe this was happening.

"It's possible," Cecile admitted hesitantly. "But the possibility's still close to zero."

"But not actually zero, right?" Suzaku asked hopefully,

"I'm afraid that's true. Still, I don't want you doing anything reckless. The new system doesn't have a cockpit ejection system installed yet." Cecile warned the young honorary Britannian.

"Right. I understand, Miss Cecile." He stared up in awe as the metal clamps holding the sheet over the Knightmare were released, allowing the sheet to be blown off from the wind. "This is it?"

The Knightmare was huge. It was primarily white, but had golden armor pieces around the head, chest, arms and legs. And it actually had a distinctly human-like face, rather than just a covered Factsphere for a head.

"Right. The experimental weapon developed by us in the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps. Lancelot." Cecil exclaimed with a calmer sense of pride than her superior. "The world's first 7th generation Knightmare Frame."

"Alright then Suzaku, shall we proceed with the initial start-up?" Lloyd asked impatiently, eager to finally see his masterpiece in action.

"Initial start-up proceeding from phase 20. Equipping energy filler." Cecil dictated to the other engineers and mechanics around the Lancelot.

"Confirm pre-start. Energy filler now at normal output. Thirty seconds to reach critical voltage."

"Core Luminous, shifting phase. Yggdrassil Drive operational."

"Devicer, set up," Cecil called out to Suzaku, who nodded and sat down in the seat, which was then inserted back into the cockpit.

"Confirming entry of Devicer to Z-0-1. Individual I.D. Registration complete. Confirm establishment of man-machine interface. Yggdrassil resonance, confirmed. Rejection response, weak. Devicer stress response, weak. All readings, normal."

"It's all going according to the data so far," Lloyd remarked calmly.

Suzaku punched in his activation code, and quickly had the launch pad beneath the Lancelot's feet split apart into two separate pads, one for each foot. The landspinners attached to each leg swung down, resting on the back of the truck, as the Lancelot bent over, resting one hand lightly on the ground before it. "Lancelot… M.E. Boost!"

The core Luminous began filling the entire frame with power, as the landspinners started moving rapidly before the Knightmare had even moved.

"Lancelot… LAUNCH!" Cecile called out.

Immediately, Suzaku blasted off from the truck and into the ghetto, moving both quickly and agilely to avoid wreckage of destroyed buildings and Sutherlands.

"Full throttle, right out of the gate, huh?" Lloyd said as he laughed in joy that his prized creation was working amazingly.

Xxx

"Huh? What's that? Tamaki asked, as his Sutherland's Factsphere was showing him an image of some white Knightmare approaching rapidly. "It doesn't look like a Suther…"

He didn't get to finish as the Knightmare smashed a fist into his Sutherland's head, forcing the Knightmare to activate the automatic pilot ejection.

Lelouch chuckled as he counted up the remaining opposition left between him and his opponent. "Another push and the way will be clear…"

"_This is B-group! Confirm signs of the enemy_!"

"Hm? Reinforcements?" Lelouch asked. "I suppose Seizan was right. I didn't expect them to push back so soon, but that would be human impatience taking place here. Perhaps he was a soldier before Japan fell." He picked up the transceiver, having decided to leave it on after his plan came to fruition. "Status?"

"_Everyone ejected, but they took out four units in no time at all_!"

"Number of enemies?' Lelouch queried.

"_One! Just one!"_ That shocked Lelouch.

One Knightmare took out four units solo? Typing rapidly with his left hand, he connected the signal from his handheld transceiver to the com system in his Knightmare, relaying the message to Seizan and Shinryoku.

"_I think it's a new model. Never seen anything like…!_"

The message was cut off from static, but he let out a relieved sigh that his two aces had received the message first.

"Did you two get that?" Lelouch asked urgently.

"_You bet we did. Sounds like Britannia has a Knightmare that might come close to matching ours. Did you get a lock on its position?_" Naruto asked eagerly.

"Negative. It doesn't seem to have an I.F.F. installed either, because my readout is not showing any Britannian Knightmare moving within our position. You'll have to find it on your own. Should I order a retreat to the terrorists?"

"_I would recommend that. No use wasting their lives in a fight they can't seem to win. Meanwhile, we're going hunting. Seizan, if I win, you're buying me pizza tonight_." C.C. informed Naruto, already prepping Shinryoku to go searching for this new enemy.

"_Like hell I'm letting you blow what little money I have left on that crap!_" Seizan cut off the communication, but had the good sense to reactivate his I.F.F., as did Shinryoku.

At least now, when they found him, he'd know for sure.

Lelouch shook his head, slightly amused at the, apparently, romantically involved Knightmare pilots. "All forces retreat. The Britannians have apparently released some kind of ace, a Knightmare that took out four frames alone. Do not engage. I repeat, do not engage. There's no point fighting a battle you'll lose."

"_Like hell we're gonna run away from this thing!"_ Two Sutherlands raised their rifles and started firing at the large white Knightmare directly across from them, only for it to activate some kind of glowing green energy shield on its right forearm, deflecting the bullets away with ease. "_Oi, this thing has some kind of deflector! The bullets are bouncing off of it!_"

"What? The bullets are bouncing off of it?" Lelouch asked.

"_Yeah! What do we do? Ishida_!"

Another burst of static was his response, causing him to frown in annoyance. It'd be so much easier to let them stubbornly fight on and get defeated easily, but he had to show others he could lead even a ragtag group like this to victory. "All forces retreat. I have two of my own aces charging in to hunt this enemy down! If you see a large black and green or black and blue Knightmare, do not attack. They are going to take this enemy of ours down. Hide out with the civilians, but ditch the Sutherlands away from your destination. Leave the Glasgow with them as well. The more attention you pull away from your exit point, the safer you'll be."

"_Understood. We'll pull back and let your men deal with this. Kallen! Grab Ishida's group and meet up with us at the west outskirts. We're ditching the Knightmares and waiting in the safe house!_"

"_Got it, Ohgi!_" Kallen clicked off the communication and sped along predetermined routes to evacuate, spotting Tamaki, Ishida and both their respective groups running just ahead of her.

She followed after them in her Glasgow, despite having to significantly reduce her speed to avoid running them over, and stopped it just outside the entrance to one of the older subway tunnels. She left the Knightmare running, but got out of the cockpit just as Ohgi and his group arrived, quickly evacuating from their respective Knightmares as well. Tamaki quickly set charges around the large group of Knightmares, before they all started running back to the safe house they had hid the Shinjuku survivors in.

Xxx

Suzaku moved the Lancelot through the ghetto at a much slower pace now than before. After he had dispatched that first group of terrorists, he hadn't seen any more of them at all. It was actually so calm, that he was expecting an ambush at any moment. Suddenly his Factsphere picked up two unidentified Knightmares approaching his position very rapidly from opposite directions. He was about to position himself atop the building to his left and let both arrive before he took action, but that decision was taken out of his hands when a large violet dagger pierced through his left arm, destroying the Blaze Luminous shield attached to it.

He spun around quickly as the dagger was retracted, and ended up looking at a large black and deep navy blue Knightmare. It stood just a bit taller than his Lancelot, and was holding a deep purple kodachi in its right hand, with a three-pronged violet dagger in the left.

This Knightmare also had a human-like face, and even had eyes with pupils and rings expanding out from the pupils in a ripple like pattern he noticed, though they must have been designed that intricately on purpose. "You must be the leader of those terrorists, right?"

Naruto stared at the white Knightmare the Britannians had created. It was mildly impressive, and even more so, that they had created it using sakuradite alone. There was no type of flight system attached to it however, and it seemed quite limited in its armaments. At least Seizan had ninjutsu to fall back on if melee combat proved ineffective.

But this thing only had a pair of swords and four slash harkens by his count.

With no other ranged capabilities, a piss-poor defensive system, and a limit to ground confrontations, this Knightmare was far inferior to theirs. If he so desired, Naruto could simply activate his wings and strike down the poor bastard from the sky, but where was the fun in that?

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not a leader, I'm a fighter. And you might be the only challenge I'll see all day. I don't mean to offend, but I have to beat you before my partner to win, so I'm going to end things quickly." Naruto tossed his MVS kunai straight at the white Knightmare, but sent a burst of chakra and fukushahado radiation through the cable and into the kunai, as it approached the Knightmare.

Suzaku frowned and contemplated his course of action. That dagger had pierced through and destroyed his left Blaze Luminous. But it hadn't been active at the time, and it was destroyed from behind. Even so, Suzaku wasn't sure the Blaze Luminous could stop that dagger even if it was activated. It was approaching him rapidly, so he made a snap decision and brought up his right arm, the iridescent green Blaze Luminous meeting the projectile head on.

The Blaze Luminous was successful in stopping the dagger, however, he was getting warnings and alerts indicating that the Blaze Luminous was overloading. He wanted to bat away the dagger with his arm and charge straight in at his enemy, but apparently the Blaze Luminous was being… force-fed some type of energy that was slowly neutralizing it.

"Can't stop it…" Desperately, Suzaku launched three slash harkens at his enemy.

None of them actually connected, but it was enough to get the Knightmare to back off, pulling the dagger back as well. He inspected the readout from the Lancelot's display and frowned. The Blaze Luminous system was utterly fried. Frankly, he was lucky both of the Lancelot's arms still worked after the beating they'd just taken. With no other choice, he pulled out the pair of MVS swords attached to the sides of his cockpit, their glowing red blades a stark contrast to his opponent's dark violet.

Before he could move to settle the fight in close quarters, a second Knightmare landed between them, this one a dark forest green and black. It had the same set of eyes as the other, but this one was holding a pair of violet fans.

"Could they be… used for melee?"

Suzaku got his answer as the Knightmare charged in, using its rotating wrists to try and slice apart his Knightmare with the razor sharp edge on those fans. When he brought his swords in to clash, the Knightmare simply allowed the blades to land on the flat of the fans, and turned them aside with a quick spin and continued its offense. If he wasn't so frustrated that he couldn't land a single blow against his opponent, he'd be very impressed with the graceful and deadly dance-like movements this Knightmare was displaying.

C.C. smirked as she continued her attack, pushing the Knightmare back with each swing of her Harken Fans. Her opponent was admittedly, a decent swordsman, but he was nothing compared to Naruto, and subsequently nothing compared to her. It was a bit awkward using these fans as blades, and she was forced to rely more on her Knightmare's capabilities than her own skill.

"I'm going to have to get some practice in, otherwise these might as well remain slash harkens."

Her opportune moment arrived when she managed to successfully deflect both of her opponent's swords out wide and brought both her fans slashing down, destroying the two Factspheres located in its chest. Not breaking her momentum, she reversed the direction of Shinryoku's wrists and brought the fans back up, cutting the hands of the white Knightmare completely off, and thus disarming her opponent.

Suzaku stared shocked as this green Knightmare cut straight through the Lancelot's wrists, preventing him from using the Lancelot's MVS swords anymore. "W-Who are these two? How do they have Knightmares that surpass the Lancelot?"

"_Suzaku, what's wrong? I'm getting damage readouts from several different systems in the Lancelot. What happened_?"Cecile's worried voice was nearly drowned out by the frantic screaming coming from somewhere behind her.

Suzaku could only assume Lloyd had also found about the damage. "There are two Knightmares, as advanced or even more so, than the Lancelot. Both Blaze Luminous shields have been destroyed, the Factspheres are gone, and the Lancelot's hands have been cut off. Also…"

He was forced to cut the communication short as the blue Knightmare apparently stepped back into the game, now wielding a pair of the violet kodachi. Now that he suspected those weapons had MVS technology, he had to assume that they were built with more advancements than the Lancelot. Judging by the designs of the weapons as well, they were likely created in Japan.

He might be able to buy himself time by attacking with his slash harkens, but he highly doubted it, especially with two opponents. All he could do now was escape. He turned around and started navigating away from the duo, deeper into the ghetto in hopes he could circle around and retreat to the Britannian defensive line. He turned the Lancelot's head over his shoulder, but only spotted the green Knightmare.

"What? Where did the blue one go?"

His movement came to an abrupt halt, despite the fact that his landspinners were still running. He glanced down at the Lancelot's legs and saw a pair of hands rising out of the ground and gripping onto them.

"What is this…?"

"**Earth Style: Double Decapitation Technique**!" A voice called out through a set of Knightmare speakers, before the Lancelot was pulled down into the ground until only its head was sticking out.

The blue Knightmare inexplicably rose out of the ground before him, and made a show of clapping its hands together, as if getting dirt off of them. He didn't know how this Knightmare did that, but he couldn't move the arms or legs of the Lancelot at all. Neither could he leave the Lancelot, as the cockpit was buried underground and did not have an ejection system.

Even if he had a cockpit ejection system, he highly doubted it could push through solid concrete. "You terrorists! You're willing to go this far to kill innocent people?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but it wasn't the terrorists that started murdering innocent people in this settlement. That was Britannia. Now be a good boy and sit here quietly while thinking about how poorly you fight." Naruto grinned to himself as he left the Knightmare there, content with a humiliating defeat of his opponent rather than an outright death. It wasn't actually needed, and that Knightmare would not be seeing combat again for a while. "Oi, C.C.! I beat him first! That means you have to eat ramen with me tonight!"

"Hmph. Fine, we might as well get moving anyways. That boy said he wanted us to meet him near the Britannian defensive line. I doubt he actually wants us to just destroy the lot of them, so he probably needs an escort out of the area or something."

Xxx

"T-They buried my Lancelot? How did they? How could they? No other Knightmare could surpass the Lancelot, let alone two! T-T-They defiled my precious creation!" Lloyd had to be physically held back by the other engineers and scientists to prevent him from running out and digging up the Knightmare by hand.

Cecile on the other hand, was contemplating who else besides them would have not only the knowledge, but the funds, to build two amazing Knightmares like that.

And then it came to her. "Rakshata…"

"Rakshata? Rakshata Chawla?" Lloyd asked, the name having an odd calming effect on him. "Yes, I understand. I don't know how she not only developed, but improved upon MVS technology by herself, but if those Knightmares were hers, I… begrudgingly… see how the Lancelot might have been… in a disadvantageous situation."

"You mean that it lost right?"

"THE LANCELOT DID NOT LOSE! IT WAS TWO ON ONE!"

Xxx

"It's your fault this happened for opposing the Britannians!"

"What? Why, you spineless coward!" Tamaki angrily retorted.

"Do you know how many people died because of this?"

"Shut up! Do you know how many of us were captured or killed?" Tamaki asked the woman, waving his rifle in her face threateningly.

Ohgi and Kallen walked inside the safe house solemnly, Tamaki's point having validity. However, it could have been much worse had it not been for that mysterious man helping them and those two Knightmares he had sent in. She had caught a glimpse of the large black and blue one, rushing through the ghetto and was amazed by it. The pilot had obviously been quite skilled, and she could only wonder about that Knightmare's capabilities and what she'd do with a Knightmare that powerful.

"Ohgi, what about that guy we heard before?"

"I don't know. He doesn't answer when I call. He could be dead, but it's more likely that he retreated after that big white Knightmare was dealt with."

The doors to the safe house were blasted apart, allowing in a tank and several armed Britannian foot soldiers to enter, guns trained on the several hundred surviving Japanese people hiding out here. "So this is where you Elevens scurried off to. Prepare to fire!"

"_Attention, all forces! Cease fire at once! In the name of Clovis la Britannia, third prince and royal viceroy of Area 11, you are so ordered! All forces cease fire at once! You shall also cease all destruction of buildings here! All casualties, either Britannian or Eleven, shall be treated without prejudice! In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are so ordered! Cease fire at once! I shall allow no further fighting!_"

Kallen watched on in shock as the Britannian soldiers, who had been moments away from murdering her and everyone else hidden here, retreated and left them all alive. "What just happened?"

Xxx

"Satisfied?"

"Yes, well done."

"What now? A round of songs?" Clovis asked disdainfully. "Or perhaps a nice game of chess?"

"That has a familiar ring." The soldier standing in the darkened command center of the G1 base took off his helmet and tossed it aside, having no need for it now. "Don't you remember? You used to play chess with me. Of course, I always won."

"What?"

"Remember? At the Aries Villa?"

"You…who are you?" Clovis asked the soldier fiercely.

No one got away with mentioning that place to him.

"It's been a long time, big brother." The man walked into the light, revealing it to be Lelouch.

Clovis' eyes widened in shock, as he leaned forward, staring at that face as if seeing a ghost. How could this be? It couldn't be him, but he'd recognize that face anywhere.

"The eldest son of the late empress Marianne, and 17th in line to the imperial throne. Lelouch vi Britannia, at your service." Lelouch held his left arm across his chest, as he knelt down on one knee before his older brother.

"Lelouch? But, I thought…"

"That I was dead?" Lelouch finished. "I have returned, Your Highness. To change everything."

He finished his declaration by pulling out a pistol and holding it level with the viceroy's forehead.

"I… I'm so glad, Lelouch. I heard you died during the capture of Japan. What good news that you're alive! Why don't you come back to the homeland with me?" Clovis said nervously, as he backed himself against his throne as much as possible.

"You intend to use me as a tool of diplomacy again?" Lelouch asked, his hand never wavering as he stepped closer, the gun almost touching Clovis' forehead now. "It seems you've forgotten why we were used as tools in the first place."

This drew a choked gasp from Clovis.

"Right. Because my mother was killed." Lelouch kept replaying the memory of that night in his mind, and his grip on the pistol only tightened further. "Mother held the title of Knight of Honor, but she was originally a commoner. No doubt the other empresses held her in contempt. Even so… even though you made it look like the work of terrorists...you people killed my mother!"

"It wasn't me! I swear it wasn't!" Clovis protested emphatically.

"Then tell me what you know. No one can lie to me now! Who killed her?" Lelouch asked, the Geass symbol flaring to life within his left eye, and taking hold within Clovis' mind.

The signature red ring around the eyes told him Clovis was affected. The third prince relaxed within his seat and seemed to lose all trace of emotions. "Schneizel, the second prince, and Cornelia, the second princess. They know."

This caused Lelouch to recoil in shock. The two most formidable siblings in the royal family.

"They're the ringleaders?" he asked, requiring clarification on their specific role.

Did they actually pull the triggers or hire the people who did?

All he received in response from Clovis was silence. "That's all you know, huh?"

He allowed the eye contact to break, as he deactivated the Geass, returning his left eye to its original purple color.

The effect was instantaneous, as Clovis instantly grew alarmed with the gun in his face once more. "It… It wasn't me, I swear! I didn't kill her! I didn't have her killed!"

"I understand." Lelouch lowered his right arm, allowing his brother to breathe a sigh of relief. "However…"

He took a step forward up the steps, and held the gun squarely between Clovis' eyes.

"No, don't! We may have different mothers, but I'm still your brother!" Clovis pleaded desperately.

"You can't change the world without getting your hands dirty." Lelouch unflinchingly pulled the trigger, watching the bullet pierce straight through his brother's head.

The life faded from his eyes rapidly, as Lelouch stared at the now deceased viceroy apathetically. He dropped the gun on the ground and simply walked out of the G1 base. There, as planned, were his escorts out of here.

"_So, what do you plan to do now?_" Naruto asked through his speakers at the boy, whose stolen Britannian armor was splashed with a fair amount of blood.

"As I am now, I will not be able to influence people and draw them to my cause. Lelouch Lamperouge is not a leader. No… I need to be reborn. Where do all things begin, and where do all things end?" He asked the two Knightmare pilots.

"_A riddle? Damn, I'm not good with those._" Naruto complained childishly.

C.C. smiled amusingly at Naruto's deficiency at mental challenges. "_That's actually an easy one, Naruto. The answer…is Zero._"

Xxx

**I admit there are not a lot of changes here but that's only because that this is the start of the battle which actually needed very little changes because it's happening from Lelouch's point of view. I guarantee there will be a lot differences in the next chapter with me adding in some twists that I believe should happen. Hope you all enjoy reading this(even if you've read it before) and wait for the next chapter. It won't take too long.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

Lelouch quickly fastened the last button on his black uniform, and walked out of the living quarters that had been graciously granted to him and his sister Nunnally by the dean. After the excitement of his first victory over Britannia, sneaking back into a school through an underground maintenance passage was undeniably boring by comparison.

Still, he wouldn't even have achieved that victory without the help from those two powerful Knightmare frames that were actually summoned across the world to his location. That white Knightmare Britannia had in their possession was powerful, and there was likely little he could do, even with ample planning and good strategy, to enable the terrorists to defeat that monster.

'But against those two, that white Knightmare looked like trash. It was completely outclassed, and they hardly revealed any of their Knightmare's capabilities. That blue one however, was able to somehow tunnel underground, maneuver itself beneath the white Knightmare, and pull it down until only the head was visible. Could it possibly be specialized for underground operations? That could yield a large number of other tactical options in battle besides the one I saw.'

After they had dropped him off in an alley close to the maintenance tunnel, they had retreated back into the shadows and vanished. Lelouch ran after them to see where they might be heading, but couldn't find the smallest bit of evidence that they had ever been there. That frustrated him a bit, as he'd have liked to be able to contact them if necessary.

As he walked towards the door to his class, he nearly bumped into Shirley's back. He also noticed Rivalz and Nina were beside her, and all three were looking at something very intently. That's when he heard it.

"The terrorists used poison gas?!"

"That's scary! Shinjuku's only thirty minutes away from here!"

"I saw it! There was smoke rising from the direction of Shinjuku. That must have been the poison gas!"

Lelouch peered around his three fellow student council members and saw images being viewed on a laptop. Soldiers keeping Japanese civilians back from entering the ghetto and people in hazmat suits working behind them.

"Shinjuku?" Shirley muttered.

"I phoned you about it yesterday," Lelouch said from behind her.

"Lelouch!" Shirley spun around so quickly that she ended up smashing her book bag into Rivalz's head and knocking him to the floor. "Why did you ask about Shinjuku?"

"I was hearing about it in real time from a friend of mine," Lelouch explained. "I thought he was exaggerating, so I wanted to hear what the news was reporting about the situation."

He turned away from her and quickly scanned the contents of the laptop over the shoulders of the other students. He saw not one mention of Clovis's assassination.

'Strange… why would they hide the news about it?' Just thinking about his actions the previous day had him feeling sick to his stomach, and he rushed to the bathroom faster than he'd thought he was capable of moving.

After thoroughly emptying the contents of his stomach and cleaning his mouth out, he turned off the water rushing into the sink and stared at his violet eyes reflected in the mirror.

'Are they hiding Clovis's death to guard against chaos? But if they do that, then when they announce it…' He scoffed and shook away the lingering feelings of regret and doubt from killing his half-brother. "I'm a lot more sensitive than I thought."

Xxx

Suzaku groaned softly, his eyes wearily blinking open only to shut tightly at the bright lights hanging above him.

"So you survived after all" said the familiar voice of Lloyd to his left, peering down upon him as if he was a science experiment. "You're lucky we managed to get the Lancelot dug up in time, Suzaku."

"W-What do you mean?" Suzaku asked. A young nurse held up a glass of water to his mouth, which he drank from gratefully.

"The Lancelot's entire cockpit was underground, which meant it couldn't draw in oxygen for you. You were forced to rely on the Lancelot's own reserve supply, and that only lasts as long as the energy filler. By the time we got you out, you'd already passed out from oxygen deprivation." Cecile explained to him solemnly.

Suzaku frowned in disappointment. His first time in a Knightmare, and he had nearly died from something stupid like suffocation, thanks to those…

"The battle!" he exclaimed.

"A complete and total defeat." Lloyd said, sighing dramatically. "Those two Knightmares came out of nowhere and took the Lancelot down like it was junk to be recycled. Still, I shouldn't expect any less from Rakshata Chawla." He commented respectfully.

"How long until the Lancelot is ready to fight again?" Suzaku asked Cecile, since Lloyd seemed to still be considering the work from this other Knightmare developer.

"Well…" Cecile trailed off hesitantly. "The repairs to the Lancelot should be finished within a week. It would be three days, but we're adding in a cockpit ejection system now. However, whether it will get to fight again is another story."

Suzaku raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you…?"

"What she means is, that the Lancelot had such a poor debut, that the top brass isn't convinced it's worth the money and resources to keep the project running." Lloyd explained, finally rejoining the conversation. "I've managed to stave off their complaints and threats to shut the program down by telling them this was started by Prince Schneizel. They've backed off for now, but they're no longer in full support either."

Suzaku sighed in frustration. His one chance to show that an Eleven and honorary Britannian could help had failed. If he ever got a chance to meet that blue Knightmare in battle again, he'd come out the victor.

"Anyways, it looks like things in Area 11 will be changing drastically from now on," Lloyd muttered, scribbling on a clipboard as he spoke "What with Clovis being assassinated and Cornelia on her way to…"

"Prince Clovis was assassinated?!" Suzaku gaped, eyes wide as he stared at the eccentric scientist in disbelief. "But…how did they?!"

"Kururugi Suzaku." Suzaku glanced up to find three members of the Britannian Military Police, lead by Jeremiah Gottwald, standing in the doorway. "We would like you to come with us please."

Xxx

The second Lelouch walked up to the classroom door, he knew something big had taken place. For one thing, he heard no noise inside, whether it was the droning voice from the teacher, or the hushed mutterings between students. It was dead silent inside. He quickly opened the door to find two students at the front of the classroom passionately locking lips in front of the class. Everyone else had just been stunned into silence as PDA was highly looked down upon at Ashford Academy, though not strictly forbidden.

The two students, new students apparently, broke apart and gave a mocking bow to the students still watching them. Lelouch almost wanted to applaud the two. Throwing something that shocking into the faces of these students who had lived such cultured and well-mannered lives was like a slap in the face.

The boy on the right was only slightly taller than him, with bright blonde hair and piercing sky-blue eyes. It was quite obvious the boy was athletic and probably more fit than everyone else in the class put together. He was currently grinning at Lelouch with what could only be called a foxy grin.

The girl on the left had long green hair that was tied back in a single long ponytail hanging down to the small of her back. She had intense yellow eyes and was inspecting the faces of the students amusedly, as if she'd like nothing more than to find every way possible to shock them into this state.

Seeing that another student had walked into the classroom, the teacher coughed into her fist to regain some of her lost dignity from staring open mouthed at the vulgar display, as well as the attention of the students. "Ah yes, well, this is Uzumaki Naruto and Senju Tsunade. They have been granted permission to attend the Academy by the dean. Naruto, Tsunade, that boy is Lelouch Lamperouge, the student body vice-president. He'll be the one showing you around the campus."

The two new students turned towards Lelouch, and he instantly knew they were the ones in the two Knightmares. The smiles on their faces seemed friendly enough but the look in their eyes; that was anything but normal. He narrowed his eyes slightly, but noticed the blonde boy's smiles widened just a bit further the second he did. That one was very perceptive.

He led them over to seats in the back where he usually sat alongside Rivalz, the boy in question currently staring at the green-haired girl like a drooling monkey.

'They must be confident in their abilities, their anonymity, or both to show up here like this. I wonder where they hid their Knightmares. I doubt they'd have entrusted them to the terrorists so easily.' He drew his gaze away from them and focused on another person who had just recently arrived to class.

The girl had red hair hanging down around her face and looked rather quiet. Then he remembered that this girl was the same one he had seen exiting the truck to pilot that red Glasgow.

"Whatcha' looking at, my dear Lelouch?" Rivalz asked, apparently deciding he had stared at the new girl long enough. "Might you have a crush on her?"

"Just thinking this is a rare event," Lelouch replied. "She hasn't been here since the term started."

"Kallen Stadtfeld." Rivalz said. "I hear she isn't well. She was barely in school last year, too. Still, her grades are at the top of the class. Since she's the daughter of the Stadtfeld family, she's got wealth and a gentle disposition. Man, you have high standards!"

"It's not like that." Lelouch denied.

He ignored the rest of Rivalz comments and started thinking about how to work this situation to his favor. He had two potential allies on campus with him and a terrorist who likely wouldn't do anything to jeopardize her double life. It wouldn't be a good idea to get all three of them together then. While those two, Naruto and Tsunade he corrected himself, already knew who he was, none of the terrorists knew.

It was highly doubtful they'd take orders from a Britannian student, even if he had helped them achieve their first major victory. When the class broke for lunch, he grabbed both Naruto and Tsunade and led them out of the classroom, telling anyone he passed that he was taking them on a tour of the academy. He walked them all the way around the campus until they reached the south side of the student council building. No students or other club members had any reason to pass by this area so he felt reasonably confident that they wouldn't be disturbed.

He turned to look them in the eye and activated his Geass. "Answer my questions."

The faint red ring appeared around both of their pupils, only to be dispelled a second later.

"Sorry, but it would be pretty stupid of me to grant you an ability I wasn't immune to." The girl's statement answered two questions he'd wanted to ask, but it also worried him slightly that he couldn't use his Geass on these two.

They were not controllable and he could only assume they were actually loyal to him. In the meantime C.C. and Naruto found an answer to one of their own questions. C.C. believed Lelouch's Geass would not affect her through the remnants of her Code while Naruto's Rinnegan could block Geass because it's immense power. Not to mention Lelouch's Geass was still brand new thus his attempts to use it on C.C. and Naruto was like a fresh Academy Student trying to fight a Kage.

No chance at all.

"What is it you two want? Why bother showing up here?" Lelouch demanded.

Naruto and Tsunade shared a glance between each other before turning back to him.

"We already told you what we want. The destruction of Britannia. So long as they're around, millions of people are being oppressed and killed for no reason. As for why we're here? Well… we were bored." Naruto admitted sheepishly.

"You came here for such a stupid reason?" Lelouch asked doubtfully.

"It's not a stupid reason. What do you think we could actually do until you make another move? Sit in our powered down Knightmares and twiddle our thumbs?" Tsunade asked him skeptically.

Lelouch pinched the bridge of his nose, but he couldn't deny she had a point. He was at least glad they hadn't decided to make a move on Britannia by themselves. If anything was going to happen, it would first be planned. "I thought her name was C.C.? And you're sure Britannia has no idea who you two are?"

"She wasn't going to use her real name for this. Only I'm allowed to know that. And what would people think if she introduced herself as just C.C.? So I picked one from my past that she liked." Naruto explained. "And only a select few Britannians are aware of our existence. Most of those people died in India."

"And you two will be loyal to me? You will fight for me until I have rid this world of Britannia's dominance?" Lelouch asked them seriously.

Naruto stepped forward until he was standing directly in front of Lelouch, and allowed the henge to fall away from his eyes, revealing his Rinnegan with the violet Geass insignia framing the pupil.

"We'll fight with you until you give us a reason not to." Naruto held out his right hand to the boy.

"Fair enough. We'll do things the right way then." Lelouch clasped Naruto's hand with his own and shook firmly.

With the terms set, he now knew what he had to do to keep their loyalty. He couldn't treat these two like regular pawns or disposable assets. They had to be treated as irreplaceable, just as he considered himself to be. He'd hate having to share any plans with them, but better they work alongside him than against him.

"Hey, Elevens!"

The three looked to see several students following one that walked towards them.

"Is he talking to us?" C.C. asked in an innocent voice.

"Maybe." Naruto shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you! Get off our school! This is no place for your kind!" The boy pointed at them while several agreed and cheered behind him.

"Evidently your Principal disagrees since we are here." Naruto smirked. "So whether you agree or not it doesn't really matter now does it?"

"You." The boy glared darkly at being disrespected. "I can make one phone call and have you both kicked off the campus!"

"You could and then our families would sue yours and take you for what little money you've got." C.C. spoke up, sounding completely calm with a mischievous smile.

Lelouch stood back, preferring to learn more about them as they interact with the idiots of the school.

"Oh yeah. Well let's see how much you can smile after I'm done with your filthy faces!" The boy charged forward and aimed a fist at Naruto's head.

Naruto snorted and stepped out of the way, making it look so easy as the fist sailed past him. The boy tried again, Naruto casually stepped to the side, dodging the fist again and again.

"You hold still you filthy Elev-" The boy tried again but this time Naruto subtly tapped him in the head, freezing him for a second before he fell forward again.

"You might want to watch your step." Naruto remarked as the boy got up growling. "But seriously, I'm getting tired of this game."

He pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number.

"And who are you calling? Your washed up bastard parents who probably lost all their money having you." The boy sneered.

"Nope. It's for you." Naruto tossed the phone at the boy who caught it.

He looked Naruto with a glare and then down at the phone before answering. "Hello?...Father?! What? What do you-But…Okay."

He handed the phone back to Naruto, looking like he swallowed a melon as he did it and stepped back.

"Thank you." Naruto held up the cell phone. "Thank you. No, it was just a misunderstanding. Okay, bye."

'**The wonders of the Human Path and that Geass ability of yours.**' Kurama snickered.

'Yep. Works great, doesn't it?' Naruto thought.

While it looked like Naruto had called the boy's father all he did wait as C.C. subtly created a Shadow Clone, then when Naruto used the Human Path's powers to read the boy's mind he sent the information to C.C. and her clone that had hidden itself from view using his Geass power. As they both learned of the new powers they now possessed Naruto learned his Geass, Absolute Harmony and Unity allowed him to directly transmit his emotions and feelings to anyone who had been touched by his chakra, whether they knew it or not, or directly to C.C. who was able to directly sense him through the connection they had. Once they felt his emotions they would feel the urge to carry out his will, similar to Lelouch's own Geass but without the memory loss. With the information she now possessed C.C. had her Shadow Clone change into the boy's father and then used both of them used their own phones to make it look like Naruto had called the boy's father.

They both even used Genjutsu to fool the boy so when he saw the number that had been dialed he would think it was his father's number. So for all appearances it appeared that the boy had been scolded and warned not to harass Naruto Uzumaki or Tsunade Senju for fear of their family status being ruined with their money and home taken.

"Well, now that that was cleared up I hope no one decides to give us any trouble. As you can see, if this one's father doesn't want him messing with us then it's very likely the rest of yours will say the same thing." Naruto shrugged. "The price of family having a ton of connections."

The students grumbled unhappily as they walked away.

"You have family with connections here?" Lelouch asked, not believing Naruto's story.

"Nah, but they don't know that." Naruto whispered with a grin. "Now they won't dare bother me or C.C. unless they fear for their family's status."

"And thus no one will make the connections between us since they will not talk about us and won't reach the ears of the military." C.C. commented.

"I see." Lelouch nodded, remembering how they appeared in Shinjuku. "Is that the work of your…special abilities?"

"Stick with us and you'll find out." Naruto answered.

"Hm." Lelouch nodded, slightly annoyed by Naruto's word game but decided to be patient. "Very well. I believe I will."

He started walking back to the main area of the campus, followed closely by Naruto and C.C. when he spotted Kallen Stadtfeld swiping a bee out of the air into three separate pieces. Naruto actually whistled in appreciation of the skill necessary to do that. Kallen would have probably made a powerful kunoichi if she had been born in his world.

"There's no doubt about it now. She was the pilot from the red Glasgow in Shinjuku," Lelouch muttered to them.

"I saw that thing in battle. Very impressive. She pushed that thing to its limits and actually managed to take down a few Sutherlands with just that one-armed clunker. Give her a real Knightmare, and she'd be damn near unstoppable." Naruto praised.

Lelouch nodded slightly, agreeing with all of the points made by Naruto. That girl could be an ace pilot that, alongside Naruto and C.C., would bring about his victory that much faster. He walked over to Kallen just as she turned towards him.

Her eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of the three of them approaching. "C-Can I help you?"

"Answer my questions." This time, when he made eye contact with Kallen and activated his Geass, he saw it instantly take hold in the form of the red ring around her eyes.

"Yes." Kallen replied obediently.

"You were the pilot of the Glasgow in Shinjuku yesterday?"

"Yes." She answered simply.

"Why are you a terrorist?" Lelouch asked.

"Because I'm Japanese. Although I'm technically half-Britannian."

Lelouch's eyes widened in shock at that revelation. "A half-breed?! But why go that far?"

Naruto sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, as he leaned back against the tree behind Lelouch.

"Bored?"

Naruto glanced to his right at C.C. who was leaning against the same tree. "Yeah, just a little. That Geass you gave him is pretty powerful, even though I dislike the idea of a power that can force someone to do something against their will."

C.C. shrugged as if it didn't matter to her.

And a strong argument could be made that it really didn't. It would never bother her or Naruto, and she could simply cancel the effects if it was used on anyone she didn't approve of. "All Geass have a weakness."

"What about ours then?" Naruto questioned her curiously.

C.C. looked pensive as she thought about that.

To her chagrin she couldn't think of a significant weakness for their Geass. "Well…you cannot deactivate your Rinnegan at will."

Even as she said it, C.C. knew that was a moot point. A rampant Geass couldn't be turned off either.

"The chakra drain is minimal. We recover more than we lose." Naruto stated casually. "And since we can cover them up with a henge, we don't need to worry about anyone seeing them. There are still two things I want to try with them though, but I'll wait until it actually becomes necessary."

C.C. nodded. "Those two huh? I want to see you using them for myself sometime. And that includes using them with Seizan."

"Um… Did you want something?"

Naruto's and C.C.'s attention were drawn back to Lelouch and Kallen, where the duo noticed Kallen no longer had a red ring around her pupils.

"Oh this should be interesting," Naruto muttered softly with a smirk. "Shall we stop him from doing something stupid?"

"Hmm…no. Let's watch him make a mess of things. It should be amusing." C.C. decided, smiling deviously at seeing Lelouch's little situation.

"No, I'm through here." Lelouch said, turning to walk off, noticing that Naruto and C.C. were smirking at him, as if they knew a secret they would not let him in on. He bit back a curse, not wanting to think about what kind of trouble those two had in mind. "Right. Just to be sure…" Lelouch turned around to glance at Kallen once more and reactivated his Geass. "Don't say anything about what happened in Shinjuku."

Kallen blinked in confusion at the odd command. "What do you mean in Shinjuku? What makes you mention that?"

Lelouch stared at Kallen in shock. It didn't work that time.

"Return to the classroom," he ordered firmly.

"Only if you answer that question!" Kallen countered.

'It's not working?! What's going on here?!' Lelouch quickly deactivated his Geass and started backing up slowly.

Kallen's unwavering gaze was boring a hole in him and he knew Naruto and C.C. would be laughing at him if they could.

"Lulu! Kallen!"

Lelouch turned around to see Shirley waving at them from the 2nd floor window. He could honestly say he had never been happier to see her than at this moment.

"We have to go to the science prep room next! Get a move on!" Shirley called out.

"Crap! I've got to set up the experiment equipment!" Lelouch exclaimed dramatically, slapping his hand to the side of his head.

He knew that Nina usually preferred to be the one to set up the equipment, but Kallen didn't need to know that, and Shirley would pass it off as Lelouch doing a favor for someone else on the student council.

He started running towards the doors to the science building. 'It didn't work? But…'

Kallen stared at Lelouch Lamperouge for a few more moments, suspicions forming rapidly in her head, before turning back towards where she spotted the two new students. "Do you two know what he meant…?"

Naruto and Tsunade were nowhere to be found, as if they had simply vanished.

Xxx

Lelouch arrived home to find his younger sister Nunnally and their maid Sayoko sitting at the small table with a lot of paper scattered on it. "Sorry I'm so late."

"Welcome home, big brother." Nunnally said happily.

There was something different about Nunnally but Lelouch didn't notice until she looked at him which made him freeze in shock. "Nunnally? Your eyes…"

Nunnally was looking at him with _open_ blue eyes with a big smile on her face. "I know, Big Brother."

Lelouch slowly walked over to his sister. "That's..that's…that's wonderful." He smiled happily, a tear falling down his cheek.

Nunnally reached and touched the tear on her brother's face. "Oh, Lelouch."

They both reached and hugged each other tightly with Sayoko smiling at the happiness of the two siblings but at the same time remembering why Nunnally got her sight back.

Xxx

_The door opened and Sayoko greeted with the sight of two students. "Can I help you?"_

_"Yes. Lelouch offered us to use the guestroom here." C.C. answered neutrally. "Him and Nunnally have already met us and Nunnally knows that we were coming over."_

_"Just call us Tsunade and Naruto. No need for formalities." Naruto smiled warmly at the maid who simply bowed her head._

_"As you wish."_

_Naruto sighed as she followed Tsunade into the living room where Nunnally was waiting for her bother to come home. _

_Naruto glanced at Nunnally and instantly noticed something through his Rinnegan. 'That little girl…'_

_According to Lelouch she was blind but Naruto could see that her eyes were functioning perfectly from the small amount of chakra in Nunnally's body that every human had to stay alive. He could see the chakra in her eyes which wouldn't be there if she was truly blind. There was also something else, a red colored imprint on her eyes that could only be seen by the Rinnegan._

_The imprint of a bird spreading its wings._

_'**We both know what kind of signature that is.**' Kurama commented, having become familiar enough with that power for the last few months._

_C.C. turned and followed Naruto's glance. 'So the Rinnegan can even see someone who has been affected by Geass.'_

_She looked at Nunnally and easily recognized her and the effects of the Geass that had been used on her. As she studied chakra she compared the art of Genjutsu to Geass since both affected the human nervous system and the brain and realized that the Rinnegan could somehow spot the unique power of Geass on people who had it or been affected by it. _

_'Charles's Geass is as strong as I remember. No doubt he and Marianne might become aware of Naruto. I can't let them know until the time is right or they along with V.V. will descend with all of the Knights of the Round on Japan long before Lelouch can even set up his rebellion.' C.C. thought with a frown. 'They probably even suspect I would seek him out and they would be right. Meeting Naruto was good fortune and now I'm stronger but we still need time to properly prepare. Not just ourselves but Lelouch as well.'_

_"Brother? Are you home?" Nunnally turned the chair around to face them._

_"Sorry, he's at a club meeting. He said he'd catch lunch there." Naruto answered warmly._

_"Oh. Naruto, are you and Tsunade just getting back?" Nunnally asked as C.C. stopped in front of hr._

_C.C. dropped the genjutsu covering her eyes, showing her Rinnegan as she placed a hand over Nunnally's closed eyes._

_"Tsunade, what are…" Nunnally stopped in mid-sentence._

_"Lady Nunnally?" Sayoko moved to pull C.C.'s hand back but Naruto stepped in front of her. "Move aside."_

_"Give her a second." Naruto said._

_Nunnally gasped as she twitched in C.C.'s hand but the green haired girl waited for a moment before she let go. Nunnally wheeled back from C.C.'s grip as she…_

_Opened her eyes._

_Sayoko gasped. "Lady Nunnally?"_

_Nunnally stared down at her trembling hands, as if she suddenly realized what they looked like for the first time. "I…I..can see." She gripped her face, tears of joy falling from her face._

_"You're welcome." The Geass symbol in C.C.'s Rinnegan flared brightly before she quickly used henge to make them look normal again._

_'So our Rinnegan can cancel or alter Geass affects, even better than a person with a Code can. Nunnally may not remember what the Emperor did to her, but the Geass that had left her blind has been broken.' C.C. glanced at Naruto. _

_All it took was the power of the Human Path and what was left of C.C.'s code, connecting with Nunnally's own mind and overpower and rewrite the Geass that left her blind but for the little girl's sake of remembering her mother as a kind woman and not being set up by the Emperor C.C. did not remove those memories. It was too soon, plus in the short time C.C. had known Nunnally the crippled girl was easily the most pure hearted soul the former immortal had ever met._

_'Hanging around with Naruto is making me soft.' C.C. sighed and closed her eyes._

Xxx

"What happened? How?" Lelouch asked the only questions that could come out of his mouth.

"I don't know. I just…I just opened them." Nunnally answered as she stared into her brother's face. "I can't explain how it happened. It's like…a miracle."

Lelouch could only smile at the happy look on his sister's face but he already suspected who was responsible.

"Welcome home, sir." Sayoko greeted him respectfully. "Your friends are in the guest room you said they could have."

Lelouch blinked in surprise, but instantly deduced who Sayoko must have been referring to. "Ah, right. I should go see how they've settled in then."

He walked down the hallway to his left, past his room, past Nunnally's room, and opened the door to the guest room at the end of the hallway. Not surprisingly, he found Naruto and C.C. already unpacking various belongings like clothes, scrolls and…weapons?

"I see you two decided to make yourselves at home."

C.C. closed the drawer that she hid her kodachi in and turned towards the door. "It would be easier and more convenient if you had us close at hand, right? Yet you also don't want anyone accidentally discovering our existence who shouldn't. That means we have to stay here."

Naruto carefully set the massive scroll his master left him atop the dresser and made sure it wouldn't roll over, before he too addressed Lelouch. "We hid our Knightmares in the maintenance tunnel you snuck back in through. They have a garage. I'm assuming they used it for vehicles coming in with people to do repairs. It looked abandoned so we put it to use."

Lelouch nodded in agreement. He had seen that garage and it could easily house several Knightmares. Still he couldn't just convert Ashford Academy into his new base of operations.

He'd need to find a new location soon, and one with room for plenty of Knightmares. "Fine. You two can stay here for now, but I plan on getting us a base of operations as soon as I can. When I do, you two will have to stay there with your Knightmares."

Naruto and C.C. met each other's gaze and turned to Lelouch as one. "Agreed."

"And one more thing, did you have anything to do with my sister regaining her sight?" Lelouch asked, genuinely curious.

"What makes you so sure it wasn't a miracle?" Naruto rhetorically asked but his fox grin wasn't fooling anyone.

Lelouch would have been annoyed and pressed them for details but considering how they helped him in Shinjuku and seemingly restored his sister's sight he decided to be a little patient with them. He'd learn more about them as they continued their agreement to bring down Britannia.

Xxx

"As you already know, the project was a complete failure. Consequently, I am disbanding this research center." General Bartley informed the researchers and scientists who had been involved in Project R in any way, shape or form.

"What?! But!"

"I've set up a place in Narita for you. Move everything out there." Bartley ordered. "While none of us remember doing so, the fact is that I and the other staff officers left Prince Clovis alone. I'll likely be recalled to the homeland to take responsibility for that. If His Majesty learns that this experiment has proceeded without his knowledge then…"

He trailed off, letting them come to their own conclusions about the consequences.

"Understood, sir! We'll make preparations as fast as we can!"

Bartley nodded in satisfaction as he turned and walked out the door after setting down a photograph on the table in the room.

A photograph displaying a green-haired woman escaping the battlefield of WWII.

Xxx

Lelouch set down the dinner plates on the table in front of him and Nunnally, though he took her plate first to cut her steak into pieces. He had given Sayoko the night off after making their dinner, while Naruto and C.C. had been given his credit card to go out for pizza or ramen. They had still been arguing about that even as they left the building.

"Miss Sayoko was just teaching me about origami. When you fold a piece of paper over and over, you can make birds and boats and all sorts of things!" Nunnally described excitedly.

She had been talking so fast, that she had some soup trailing down from her mouth. She was just so happy today that she could barely keep herself calm at all.

"You really don't have to be talking so fast." Lelouch said softly, taking his napkin and gently wiping the soup away from her mouth. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Thank you, big brother," said Nunnally.

"You're very welcome." Lelouch replied with a smile.

"I'm so glad. You sort of scared me last night."

"Did I? Sorry. I had something to think about." Lelouch said, hating that it was necessary to lie to his sister, the one person for whom he cared the most.

"So…" Nunnally started, drawing Lelouch's attention back to her. "They say if you fold a thousand cranes, your wish comes true. So, if you have anything to wish for…"

She trailed off, holding up the delicate pink crane Sayoko had made for her yesterday.

"Oh, no. Not me. And, you, Nunnally? Do you wish for anything?" Lelouch asked kindly.

"I wish the world was a gentle place." Nunnally stated simply.

Lelouch smiled at the innocence of his sister. "Now you can see again, I'm sure it will be."

"Really?" Nunnally asked happily.

"I promise."

Those two words brought the happiest smile he had ever seen on his sister's face and he wanted to make sure it stayed there. 'That's right. There are few futures which are open to us. While they may be sheltering us here, will the Ashford family always be there to back us up? If our identity was ever revealed, even Shirley, Rivalz, and the others would abandon us. Our fate is to be either political tools or the prey of other peoples' conspiracies. I have to make it. Make a world where Nunnally can live happily.'

Lelouch set his hand down over Nunnally's, only for her to lift it up and wrap her pinky finger around his.

"She taught me about this before. It's how the Japanese make a promise. Cross my heart, hope to die, eat a thousand needles if I lie. I swear." She finished, having sung the promise in her soft lyrical voice, and gently pulled their hands apart.

Lelouch blinked and decided to humor her. "Now I'm scared! I may have to eat a thousand needles someday!"

Nunnally smiled innocently and wagged her pinky in the air at him. "Uh-huh! So you better not be lying."

"It's ok. I'm not lying." Lelouch said.

'Not to you, at least.'

Xxx

Lelouch activated his Geass and stared down at his rippling reflection in the river below him. 'This is the only weapon I have. And I don't even know how to use it.'

"Lelouch!"

Lelouch deactivated his Geass quickly, and looked up to see who had called his name. He saw it was just his history teacher approaching.

"Class will be starting soon!"

"Oh. Yes, sir!" He decided to test his Geass on his teacher to see if it still functioned properly.

The fact that Kallen had seemingly broken his hold over her disturbed him greatly.

"Sir, could you please tell me what questions will be on our essay exam?"

"They'll cover The Humiliation of Edinburgh, The Transfer of the Capitol to the New World, and The North-South War." His teacher answered calmly, with the signature red ring surrounding his pupils.

'So, I haven't lost this power after all?' Lelouch deactivated his Geass, removing the connection on his teacher. He locked eyes with his teacher once more and reactivated the Geass. "Sir! Could you please tell me what questions will be on our essay exam?"

"Quit joking around and study seriously! You can handle them if you make the effort." Lelouch's teacher chastised as he walked away, heading for the main building.

"Right!" Lelouch called back. 'As I suspected. It can only work once on the same person. If I break the connection, I can no longer issue orders or commands to that person. Then again, perhaps C.C. could wipe the effects of my Geass so I could issue a new set of commands or orders.'

Xxx

"So, how's life at your dear old school?"

"Stifling." Kallen responded. "Well, almost. There are these two new students that made out in front of the class, and I know they did it just for the shock value. It was pretty funny watching these stuck up Britannians' reactions. Anyways, maybe I should head back to you." She said hopefully.

"The army's on high alert right now. Stay there and let things cool down." Ohgi informed her.

"But what about the voice on the radio? Or those two Knightmare pilots?" Kallen asked.

"You can't go looking for a voice. And those two Knightmares disappeared after taking care of that white monster Britannia unleashed on us. You can assume they're working for that guy you heard. Besides…" Ohgi turned around and glanced at the picture frame on the table behind him. "Naoto would be happy you're a student again."

Kallen scowled, unable to believe Ohgi would use her brother against her like that.

"Forget what happened in Shinjuku for now. I'll contact you again later." With that, Ohgi abruptly ended the call.

'Shinjuku… I understand, but…'

Then it hit her. That student, Lelouch, had told her not to say anything about what happened in Shinjuku. She had thought it was just about all the rumors the students were spreading, but could he really have meant the battle that took place?

'Is it possible that was his voice?'

Xxx

Kallen ignored the useless lecture on Britannian history, and opened her pencil box with a built-in mirror. She quickly spotted Lelouch behind her and to the left. He certainly didn't look like someone that could lead their group to victory against Britannia. He hardly looked like he run a mile.

The second he was called on to stand up and answer a question, she perked up instantly.

As she listened to him speak, she was mentally trying to compare his voice to the one that had spoken to her through the radio. 'It's similar… or is it? No. I don't remember the voice well enough to be sure!'

Lelouch sighed as he sat back down and glanced at Kallen, noticing the mirror in her pencil box which she hastily shut. 'All I gave her was knowledge that I know about Shinjuku. However…'

'If he knows who I really am…' Kallen thought, as she turned around to scrutinize the boy sitting in the corner of the room.

'Then as soon as possible…'

'I need to take care of him.'

As soon as class ended, Lelouch started packing away his things as quickly as possible without seeming like he was in a rush.

"Say Lulu, we're about to head over to…"

"Sorry. Maybe next time." Lelouch said, cutting Shirley off as he walked over to Kallen who was surrounded by several of her friends.

Though he highly doubted she would label any of them as such while fighting Britannia.

"Could you come with me, please? I'd like to talk to you." Naturally this statement caused all the girls around her to gasp in surprise.

He could possess only half the intellect he had now and still know what they thought was happening.

Kallen stood up and nodded. "Yes. I was expecting you'd ask."

He led her out the door and across the campus towards the massive student council club house, the second largest right after the administrative building that held the quarters and offices of the faculty members.

"I never knew there was any place like this in school." Kallen commented as she stared at the massive ballroom they were now standing in.

"It's the clubhouse for use by the student council. It was built large enough to host a formal dance." Lelouch explained.

"And we won't be disturbed in here?" Kallen asked.

"Exactly." He responded.

Kallen slowly started reaching her hand towards her pocket, where she kept the pink coin purse that held a concealed knife, until an exclamation from above stopped her short.

"Found it! Found it! Look, it's this, right?" Shirley asked, holding up a small computer chip between her fingers.

"Ah! That's it! The experiment data." Nina confirmed, walking over to take the chip back.

Rivalz stood up beside Shirley and started stretching his back, resulting in several loud cracks. "Man, my back hurts after being forced to crawl around looking for such a tiny thing."

As if that wasn't enough for Kallen, the door to the clubhouse opened, revealing Milly in a green apron pushing a silver cart laden with food. She glanced at Lelouch from the corner of her eye and noticed he was also shocked about the presence of the other student council members.

"Um… What is all this?" He asked Milly.

Milly set the plates of food onto one of the tables and turned to look at Lelouch. "Didn't you bring her here because you knew? It's because we're letting Kallen, Naruto and Tsunade onto the student council."

Lelouch's and Kallen's eyes went wide at Milly's statement, though for two different reasons.

"Naruto and Tsunade too?" Lelouch gasped.

"Naturally." Milly confirmed.

"We're required to join a club, but all the ones here are boring. There are no fighting, or swordsmanship clubs here. So we figured we might as well get to the top of the ranks."

Lelouch looked up and saw Naruto and C.C. looking down at him from the second level with smiles on the faces. He should have realized they wouldn't have left him alone so easily. Even though he hadn't seen them since the other night.

"Yup. My grandfather said the three of them could join. Naruto and Tsunade, because they're friends of yours and the fact that we're not allowed to have 'violent' clubs here. And Kallen because he said it would be hard for her to participate in regular club activities because of her health problems. Oh! I'm Milly, the council president. How do you do?" She said, finally remembering that she hadn't formally introduced herself to Kallen.

"Oh. Uh, it's a pleasure to meet you." Kallen said awkwardly.

The other three members ran down the stairs towards her, but Naruto and C.C. simply flipped off the edge and landed crouched behind her.

"I'm Rivalz, the secretary. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me."

"I'm Shirley, and I'm also in the swim club. How do you do?"

"And, I'm Nina," the bespectacled girl finished shyly.

Kallen nodded in greeting to all three, but turned around as soon as she felt it was polite to do so and faced the duo that had dropped down. If Lelouch was the voice she had had heard, might not these two be the Knightmare pilots who had decimated Britannia's ace in the hole?

"Um… I don't think we've been introduced to each other. I'm Kallen Stadtfeld."

Naruto stood up and smiled at her. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. It's an… honor to meet you."

C.C. stood up beside him, and gave her an amused smirk. "I'm Senju Tsunade. I'm sure getting to know you will be fun."

Kallen blinked at their odd introductions but nodded slightly anyways. Their names indicated they were Japanese, which made her wonder how they were allowed to attend the academy, but could they really be the Knightmare pilots?

They hardly seemed like people skilled in combat. "Nice to meet you two."

"Um... Milly? Can I talk to you alone, please?" Nina asked quietly.

Milly raised an eyebrow in confusion, but nodded as she and Nina stepped away from the group and stood by the bottom of the staircase. "What is it Nina?"

"Why... why are two Elevens at this school? Why did you let them join the student council?" Nina asked, staring at Naruto and Tsunade in fear, as if they might suddenly run over and attack her.

Milly nodded in understanding, and glanced over at the duo quickly before turning back to Nina. "My grandfather wouldn't tell me much, but apparently they're long-time friends of Lelouch, and are very influential."

"Influential?" Nina gasped. "But the only way that could be was if they were Britannian!"

"Or at least half," Milly agreed, having had the same thoughts when she was informed of it by her grandfather. "Probably a deceased Eleven parent, whose name they took. I wasn't told who their parents were, but they have to be significant if even my grandfather acknowledges their importance."

Nina had calmed down significantly at this news and was now looking at the two new students in a radically different manner. The more she stared at them, the more her mind associated their features with Britannians instead of Elevens.

After all, she had never seen a blonde Eleven, or one with green hair. "I see. Thank you for telling me, Milly."

"Sure, no problem." Milly said, knowing full well of Nina's general distrust of non-Britannians.

Personally, she had no problem with them, and would've even called them Japanese if she didn't already know it would have brought her unnecessary problems with Nina. The two of them rejoined their friends, and smiled as Nina walked over to Naruto and Tsunade and properly introduced herself, who then greeted her warmly.

"Um, excuse me Shirley, but could you put these on the table for me?"

Kallen looked over Shirley's shoulder and saw a young girl rolling in on a wheelchair with happy violet eyes taking in everything around her as if she was seeing it all for the very first time. On her lap were a pair of pizza boxes, and a tray of cake slices.

"Oh, thanks, Nunna!" Shirley said as she ran over and took the food off of Nunnally's lap. "It's so great to see you able to see!"

"Thank you, Shirley." Nunnally smiled as she took a good look at Shirley's face, as if wishing to memorize every part of the girl's face.

"Nunnally. You, too?" Lelouch asked in shock.

Milly saw the confused look on Kallen's face, and decided to be the one to explain. "This is Lelouch's little sister."

"I'm in the middle school group, so I'm not in the student council." Nunnally stated softly.

"That's okay. You're an associate member, right?" Rivalz said encouragingly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kallen." Nunnally stated with a friendly smile.

Despite being Britannian, Kallen couldn't find it in herself to see Nunnally Lamperouge the way she saw all the others. There was an innocence about the girl that led her to believe she would greatly disapprove of all the things Britannians had done to the Japanese if she knew the details.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Nunnally." Kallen replied sincerely, returning the girl's smile with her own.

"Okay then! First, shall we drink a toast?" Rivalz called out exuberantly as he brought out a bottle of MOËT & CHANBON, one of the most expensive brands of champagne that could be obtained outside of the homeland.

Lelouch wasn't sure how Rivalz of all people obtained a bottle, but he wouldn't say no to a drink.

"Champagne!" Shirley called out in surprise.

"Student council members can't drink!" Nina protested.

"Oh, loosen up, you guys." Rivalz said as he tried to uncork the bottle with his thumb.

That was until Shirley moved over and tried to take the bottle away from him.

"Lelouch, catch!" Rivalz yelled, tossing the bottle through the air towards the council vice-president.

Lelouch caught the bottle easily and started moving towards the table where the glasses had been set down.

"You're not getting away with it either, Lulu!" Shirley reached up to try and take the bottle away from the taller boy, who simply held it out of her reach.

Shirley frowned and jumped up to grab it, but ended up knocking Lelouch down to the ground. The impact caused the cork to come shooting out of the bottle straight towards Kallen. She was about to smack it out of the air until a hand appeared in front of her face, catching the cork before she could even start to react. She glanced at the owner and saw that Naruto had been the one to inadvertently save her cover, and was giving her a confident smile, which she found herself wanting to return.

Then the champagne came flowing out, drenching her from head to toe.

Xxx

"That's why I hate Britannians. For crying out loud…" Kallen sighed as she allowed the hot water to cascade down upon her.

A knock on the bathroom door startled her and she pulled the curtain away just enough to glance at the door. "It's Naruto. I brought you a change of clothes."

"You can come in. The shower curtain's closed."

She closed the curtain and heard the door open, allowing Naruto to enter, and close once more. So they were alone. That suited her just fine. There were a few things she wanted to ask him.

"Sorry about before. I never had champagne before so I didn't know it would do that." Naruto said as he placed a set of clothes in the wicker basket by the sink. "Lelouch sends his apologies as well. He said they can all go over the top sometimes so he should have expected that."

"It's fine. There's nothing wrong with cutting loose." Kallen said, trying to sound nonchalant. "That was really fast, the way you caught the cork."

"I've had some training." Naruto replied with a shrug. "Lelouch gave me some of his clothes since Milly and Shirley's were too large."

"It's fine." Kallen answered. "I've worn some of my brother's clothes before. That was fast though. You went all the back to the boy's dorm? You must have run all the way there."

Naruto had to hold back a chuckle. He knew Kallen was fishing for information and he needed to stall for three minutes. "Lelouch told me he lives here actually. His little sister would have had it pretty hard living in the dorms. The principal let them stay at the clubhouse as a favor and Lelouch invited us to stay with him."

"Oh. So where are Lelouch and Tsunade?" Kallen questioned.

"Lelouch's scrubbing the club house floor with Rivalz while Tsunade's trying to get Milly to order some pizza. Who wants sticky floors in a ballroom, right?" Naruto asked rhetorically, as he counted down in his head. "Well, I should probably leave you alone now. I'll see you later."

"Wait!" Kallen reached her hand out from behind the curtain. "Could you hand me that pouch by the sink?"

"Sure." Naruto picked up the small pink pouch, wondering what she had inside that weighed more than the pouch looked like it could carry, and set it in her outstretched hand. He turned to walk out the door but was stopped by her hand gripping his wrist. "Seems someone got better much faster than expected."

"Yesterday Lelouch brought up Shinjuku. I want to know why. Were you the voice or one of the Knightmare pilots that took out that white Knightmare Britannia sent?" Kallen asked seriously, her grip tightening slightly.

"Voice?" Naruto responded.

"Don't play dumb!" Kallen demanded. "You both hang around Lelouch a lot. Are you the pilots? Why did he mention Shinjuku?"

"Is there something wrong with Shinjuku?"

"Don't answer my question with a question!" Kallen said angrily. "Is the answer yes, or no? I don't want to hear anything else!" She picked up the pink pouch that had fallen to the tub floor and ejected a hidden blade from the end of it, holding it just above Lelouch's wrist.

Naruto stared at the gleaming blade she was threatening him with little reaction. A little pocket knife was not going to scare him since he had been threatened with worse.

Suddenly the phone beside him started ringing and he had to stifle his grin. "If I don't answer that, someone might come."

Naruto picked up the phone slowly, acting as if he was trying not to make any sudden movements. "Hello? Ashford Academy, student council bathroom. No, I'm…no I'm not in there with her. "He handed the phone to Kallen. "It's for you. He says you'll know him if you talk to him."

Kallen narrowed her eyes, not wanting to lower her weapon, but saw no other option, as she wanted to find out who knew to call her here.

She set the knife down on the edge of the tub and took the phone from Naruto. "Hello?"

"_I'm glad you're alive and well, Q-1_."

Kallen's eyes widened in shock. This was the voice from Shinjuku. Naruto told her Lelouch was cleaning the ballroom. He could have easily slipped away to make this call, well she'd hold that thought back for now.

She could confirm that by just asking Rivalz or Milly if Lelouch or Tsunade had left at any point while she was away.

"_The day after tomorrow, at 4:00. The observation deck of the old Tokyo Tower. Come alone_."

"Who are you?! How did you arrange that cease-fire order?!" Kallen questioned him, only to hear a click from the other end. "Hey! Don't hang up on me!"

In her frustration, she had jerked the phone cord out, pulling the shower curtain wide open.

"What do you mean, cease-fire order?" Naruto asked her. "Sounds like you have some pretty dangerous friends."

"Oh…that was just…" Kallen paused, trying to find a suitable explanation. "A game! It's a war game I play when I'm so sick, that I have to stay home."

She released his wrist and mentally congratulated her quick thinking.

"I can understand doing something like that when you have nothing to do. Oh, and I can see you." Naruto finished with a smirk, taking a quick moment to appreciate her form before he left the bathroom.

Kallen blinked at his odd words, but looked down and noticed that her nude form was clearly visible to him. She screamed and crouched down, pulling the shower curtain back to hide herself.

She heard the door shut after him, and turned off the water. "Guess I was wrong."

Xxx

After having dressed in the clothes provided by Naruto, Kallen made her way back through the clubhouse towards the ballroom where she saw everyone gathered around the television, watching the Britannian News. "Hey, Rivalz?"

The blue-haired boy turned around to face their newest member. "Hmm? What is it Kallen?"

Kallen glanced momentarily at Lelouch, but he seemed too preoccupied with the discussion he was having with Naruto and C.C. "Lelouch was cleaning the ballroom the entire time right? Did he leave, even for a few moments?"

Rivalz raised an eyebrow at the question but shook his head. "No, Lelouch was here the entire time. Tsunade had to excuse herself because she had er...womanly problems, and Lelouch offered to escort her to the nurse's office, but she told him not to bother."

Kallen nodded contemplatively. Lelouch would not have had a chance to make the call then. She dismissed the possibility of Tsunade being the caller immediately. She'd heard the girl's voice and there was no way she could have sounded like that man.

"I guess they're not involved…" she muttered under her breath.

She slowly walked over to the group and glanced at the television, if only to see what was so interesting.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Prince Clovis has died." Rivalz said, walking over to her. "They say he was killed."

Kallen blinked in surprise. That meant it had to have happened after he called that cease-fire order.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, waiting to see who would receive the blame for this. He felt C.C. slip something into his pocket and move back over to Naruto's side. Just for confirmation, he slipped his right hand into his pocket and felt the recorder he'd given her. Good. That meant she'd completed the task to throw Kallen off their trail.

On screen, the entire Purist Faction, led by Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald had gathered in the viceroy's palace to hold the press conference.

"_Prince Clovis has passed away! While fighting for peace and justice against the Elevens, he died a martyr! We must all push down our sorrow and carry on his will_!"

"_We've just received new information_," the female newscaster announced. "_The man suspected of the murder has been captured. According to the report, the man arrested is an honorary Britannian_."

Lelouch blanched as soon as he saw the person being escorted in cuffs by the Britannian Military Police. 'Could it be?'

Naruto noted Lelouch's expression with an interested look while C.C. merely rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"_The suspect is a former Eleven. Honorary Britannian Suzaku Kururugi_!"

Xxx

Rakshata smiled softly to herself as she finally managed to stand atop the water in the main hall's marble fountain. Naruto and C.C. had been summoned away so unexpectedly, that Naruto had left several scrolls behind. One of them contained the instructions for several different chakra control exercises, all of which she had now mastered with the completion of water walking. The others all focused on anatomy, physiology, medicine, poisons and antidotes, and Iryo ninjutsu, or medical ninjutsu, with an added section on increasing strength with chakra.

Rakshata was surprised that she found the subject so interesting. She attributed it to her vast intelligence and desire to constantly increase her own knowledge and skills, whether it was with Knightmares, or more recently, with the chakra she now possessed. The woman who had personally written down the information contained in these scrolls, one Senju Tsunade she noted, proclaimed herself as the greatest Iryo-nin alive, and one day hoped to be surpassed.

Initially, Rakshata found such a wish to be illogical until she understood that, if Tsunade were surpassed, it would mean her successor would be able to help and save more people than Tsunade ever could. Almost from the moment she discovered the scrolls in Naruto's room, she had been going through them with the intent to claim Tsunade's title as the greatest Iryo-nin. Most of the information on herbs and plants that had medicinal properties was useless to her, as she knew for a fact that most of them didn't exist in this world. However, with her eidetic memory and fascination of the subject, it wasn't long before Rakshata had an in-depth knowledge of the human body and could manifest the glowing green medical chakra in her hands at will.

Still, she knew being able to produce it, and being able to use it were two very different things. So, she needed a test subject. Since there hadn't been anyone injured enough to warrant treatment at the time, she purposefully created a situation where one of the Knightmare pilots in her employ would walk in on her coming out of the shower with just a towel wrapped around herself as cover. She had given him a swift and painful beating for being a 'pervert', but took him to the medical wing herself after getting dressed.

On her first try at utilizing the medical chakra, Rakshata had been able to take care of the many bruises quite easily, but it had taken her two hours longer than Tsunade had written was normal, for her to heal the man's broken ribs. That was when she realized that she couldn't just put off the last chakra control exercise, water walking, because she was impatient to start utilizing Iryo ninjutsu, which led her to where she was now. She was going to resume her medical training now that she had mastered water walking, but it was at that point that the shared vision with C.C. and Naruto let her know that her newest and greatest creations were finally engaged in combat with another Knightmare instead of just gunships and tanks. And not just a regular Sutherland, but a new, advanced model unlike anything she'd seen from Britannia before.

"Earl of Pudding…" Rakshata murmured, aware that the only one other than her who could create an advanced Knightmare like that was her rival, Lloyd Asplund.

She walked back through the facility to her research lab and plopped down on the red couch she'd had brought in for her personal use while working. She smirked in amusement as the white and gold Knightmare was simply outclassed by Naruto's Seizan. Embarrassingly so, she noticed with pride. However, that bright green shield that had managed to stop Seizan's MVS kunai intrigued her. Ignoring that it was soon rendered useless by the combination of chakra and fukushahado waves coursing through the kunai, the fact of the matter was that it _did_ stop the kunai from piercing straight through.

"Bring me the scanning data from Seizan. I need to see what Lloyd has come up with." Rakshata ordered with a snap of her fingers.

Immediately, a nervous scientist started typing commands into the scanning console still getting readings from Seizan and Shinryoku, despite the extreme distance. The scanners themselves she had integrated into their Factsphere sensors, so she would always know whether there was an enemy Knightmare that could come close to or, heaven forbid, surpass Seizan and Shinryoku. If the worst should happen, she would take the accumulated data and make any necessary improvements to her children. The scientist printed out a small stack of papers and brought them to her quickly.

Stretching out on the couch, Rakshata took the results and started perusing through them. The white and gold Knightmare's power output was enormous, and had Naruto not created Core Radiance already, she might actually be impressed. As it was, Lloyd's toy wasn't even a fraction of what Seizan and Shinryoku were. When she got to the numbers correlated with that arm-mounted beam shield, she shook her head in disappointment.

The amount of energy required to maintain the shields was proportional to the amount of energy being blocked by the shields. Naruto's charged kunai alone would have probably drained the energy filler of that Knightmare by more than half. With only a standard Core Luminous powering that Knightmare, it couldn't afford to have such drains on its energy filler. She shifted her focus from the results back to the fight just in time to see Shinryoku enter the battlefield.

Rakshata gave herself a mental pat on the back for implementing the Harken Fans as well as she did, and even more so for the forethought to give Shinryoku rotating wrists to complement them. Rakshata watched the engagement all the way until Seizan had the white Knightmare buried up to its head in solid concrete, after which she lost interest. Lloyd was going to have to do much better than that to even put a scratch on her perfect children.

Xxx

"Do you know anything about this weapon, Kururugi Suzaku?"

The bruised and beaten Suzaku glanced down at the military pistol on the table, contained within a plastic evidence bag. How did it come to this? Admittedly the skirmish against those two Knightmares had been a dismal failure, but to be accused of murdering His Highness, Prince Clovis? If he actually thought it would have helped his situation in the slightest, Suzaku would have informed them that he'd been piloting the Lancelot and hadn't been anywhere in the vicinity of the crown prince at the time of his murder.

But the word of an honorary Britannian was worth nothing to these particular people.

"It was the one used to assassinate Prince Clovis. The barrel striations confirm this." Jeremiah Gottwald continued. "I also took the liberty of investigating your background. You're the son of Japan's last prime minister, aren't you? You had plenty of motive!"

"You've made some sort of mistake! I've never seen that gun in my life!" Suzaku denied vehemently.

His chair was suddenly kicked over by another of the purist faction members in the room, sending Suzaku to the floor.

"Your fingerprints are on the gun," Jeremiah stated, holding up the pistol so Kururugi could see from his position on the ground. "You're also suspected of murdering members of the royal guard. Admit it. Do it now and you'll be judged as an honorary Britannian, instead of as an Eleven."

"I didn't do it!" Suzaku denied once more, only to receive a swift and painful kick in the face.

Xxx

Lelouch carefully lifted Nunnally out of her wheelchair and helped her sit down on the edge of the bed, before then picking her up and laying her down so he could pull the blankets up over his sister.

"That was Suzaku they mentioned before on the news, wasn't it?" Nunnally asked her brother softly.

"Yeah. It looks like Suzaku's still alive." Lelouch confirmed, tucking her in comfortably.

Nunnally turned to face her brother frowned sadly. "We've been apart since the war ended. Big brother?"

"What?" Lelouch asked kindly.

"That news wasn't true, was it?" Nunnally asked worriedly.

"It wasn't." Lelouch reassured her.

He knew how close Nunnally was to Suzaku. She considered him a second brother, and Lelouch had to admit, he felt the same thing about the boy he'd grown up with. Suzaku was his brother in all but blood.

"Suzaku would never do anything like that. It's some kind of mistake."

Nunnally smiled as she closed her eyes(Lelouch being thankful they will open again in the morning) started drifting off to sleep, her right hand reaching out for and grasping Lelouch's left hand. "Yes… it must be."

"Good night Nunnally." Lelouch turned off the slight and walked out of her room, making sure to shut the door with as little noise as possible. That was when he noticed Naruto and C.C. leaning on either side of the door. "How much did you two hear?"

"We're going to save him, aren't we?" Naruto asked knowingly.

C.C. merely tilted her head to glance at Lelouch from the corner of her purple eye. Lelouch sighed quietly, moving away from Nunnally's room and into the living room so his sister would not wake up and overhear them.

"Yes, we're going to retrieve Suzaku." Lelouch confirmed. "However, we won't do anything until they decide to move him."

"What makes you so sure they won't just execute him?" Naruto asked curiously, as he and C.C. followed Lelouch into the living room.

Had someone actually managed to assassinate Tsunade, despite how impossible that might seem, the one responsible would've been killed on the spot. After they found out who sent the assassin first, of course.

"They believe Suzaku killed a member of the Britannian royal family. They'll want to make an example out of him to gain political sway. Jeremiah Gottwald is part of the purist faction, a group of Britannians who believe that only pureblood Britannians should be allowed to serve in the military." Lelouch explained as he dropped down into the black leather armchair exhaustedly.

"There was never a high chance that they'd succeed in having the honorary Britannian program shut down, but if they can pin the murder of a viceroy on an Eleven turned honorary Britannian…" Lelouch trailed off.

"…There will be no other option but to have the program disbanded." C.C. concluded, receiving a nod from Lelouch.

"When will they move him?" Naruto inquired.

"Most likely, after the memorial service to honor Clovis." Lelouch responded, after thinking through several different scenarios that could arise from moving Suzaku earlier or later than he suspected. "That would be the day I'm to meet Kallen and the other terrorists. So, if we can successfully rescue Suzaku, I think they'll be more likely to join me."

Xxx

Lloyd sighed in frustration and shook his head, as the engineers were only just starting to attach the Lancelot's replacement hands. Neither the Blaze Luminous shields nor the Factsphere sensors had been repaired yet, and Cecile had advised him to integrate a cockpit ejection system before he even thought about drawing up designs and plans to improve the Lancelot's combat abilities.

"We've lost our most essential part," Lloyd said disappointedly.

"Can't we do without him?" Cecile asked.

"I wish," Lloyd replied. "We can't get a replacement pilot for honor or money, and even if we could, they wouldn't get readings like he did."

"Eh? Readings like Suzaku?" Cecile asked in confusion.

Lloyd was extremely possessive with his Lancelot data, and practically hoarded it all to himself, revealing only what he felt was necessary for others to know. Naturally this included the Lancelot's performance rate with Suzaku piloting the prototype KMF.

"Didn't I tell you?" Lloyd asked. "He had an operation efficiency of 94%! How do we replace that?"

Lloyd suddenly had a strong desire to know the performance rates of the pilots whom Rakshata had entrusted those two unique Knightmares with. Though a part of him already suspected, to his disappointment and frustration, that their numbers would surpass those of Kururugi Suzaku. Perhaps even a perfect synchronization.

"Then you should tell them so they'll release Suzaku!" Cecile said.

"He's an honorary Britannian, right?" Lloyd asked rhetorically. "Since General Bartley's disgrace, the Purebloods have been in control of the military. According to them, the guilty party can't be from the Britannian military. But if the criminal is an Eleven, they'll accept Margrave Jeremiah's demands and shut down the entire system of granting Elevens the status of honorary Britannian."

"And what about Suzaku?" Cecile asked, worry clearly evident in her voice.

"I doubt there's any way he'll be found innocent," Lloyd stated bluntly.

Personally, he didn't particularly care either way, but Kururugi Suzaku was the first pilot that had the potential to make his Lancelot perform to its full capabilities. It would be a shame to lose such talent.

Xxx

"This looks like a good spot, Naruto."

"Yeah, I think you're right. Close enough, but still hidden from view." Naruto pulled off his right glove, and slapped his palm against the brick wall in the alleyway just two blocks from Tokyo Tower.

When he removed his hand, there was a jutsu-shiki, the technique formula for the Hiraishin, emblazoned on the bricks. It would only last for 24 hours, but since the meeting with Kallen was tomorrow at 4, it would last long enough to suit their needs and he wouldn't have to leave one of his Hiraishin kunai behind. He checked his watch and saw it was almost 6:00 PM.

"Well, with that done, we still have the rest of the evening to enjoy ourselves. Courtesy of Lelouch," Naruto said, holding up a credit card between his fingers that he'd swiped from Lelouch's wallet.

C.C. smirked utilizing the Henge jutsu to transform herself into a young Britannian woman with long flowing auburn hair and light green eyes, wearing a simple pair of navy blue jeans and a forest green jacket. "Are you offering to take me out for a night on the town, dear?"

Naruto flicked his fingers, sending the credit card straight up into the air, thus freeing his hands to mimic her actions, and use the Henge jutsu. When the resulting cloud of smoke dispersed, Naruto now appeared to be a regal-looking Britannian man with smooth black hair, but kept the same ocean-blue eyes. He was wearing an unbuttoned black and red jacket, beneath which he wore a plain black shirt, with long black jeans to match.

He held out his right hand, palm up, and caught the descending credit card between his pointer and middle fingers. "How could I not spoil you, my love?"

C.C. chuckled and looped her arms around Naruto's left, as the two of them headed away from the alley and boarded the monorail to Clovis Land, probably the only amusement park left in all of Japan. By the time they arrived, the sun had set, and the bright lights of the amusement park offered a brilliant contrast to the surrounding darkness. Right at the entrance was a machine to convert credit into cash, which allowed Naruto to receive $500 worth of currency specific to Area 11. Each bill in the stack had the face of the, now former, viceroy, Prince Clovis. Upon walking in, the first thing C.C. dragged him to was a dart toss game where the top prize was a Cheese-kun plush doll, as this booth was sponsored by Pizza Hut.

Shaking his head in amusement, Naruto paid the man behind the counter and was handed five darts. Without hesitation, he tossed all five darts towards the target at once, landing four in a circle on the bull's eye with the fifth landing in the exact center. It was almost unfair how much of an advantage he had at a game like this, he thought, as he received the Cheese-kun doll and gave it to C.C.

Oh, who was he kidding? It was totally unfair.

"I love it. Thank you, N…Nicholas." C.C. said with honest gratitude, only just managing to avoid revealing Naruto's Japanese name and replacing it for one that a Britannian might have.

She leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the lips, before wrapping her free arm around his left and dragging him off to try some of the rides, now that she had gotten the only prize she wanted. The two of them spent the rest of their time at Clovis Land enjoying themselves on the numerous rides, sampling the food, and finally ended up on the Ferris wheel to end their wonderful night. By this point, it was already nearing midnight, the time when the park would close, so almost everyone had already gone home except for them. As their car stopped at the very top of the Ferris wheel, they were treated to a gorgeous sight of the full moon shining down over the dwindling lights of the amusement park. By mutual consent, they'd decided to drop the henge and enjoy the sight as themselves.

"Naruto... what do want to do?" C.C. asked the blonde to her right.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, looking down at her as she pressed up against his side, and set her head down on his shoulder.

"We're planning on starting a war with Britannia, to destroy them and remove their influence from other countries. But, what about after that? What will there be left for you to do once we've accomplished that goal?" C.C. clarified.

When she didn't receive an immediate response, she glanced up at him, only to see him smiling warmly at her.

"Well, I suppose that depends on you, Cera." Naruto said, speaking her real name with such tenderness and love, that C.C. couldn't help but blush. "I believe, that I have a promise to uphold, a promise to stay by your side forever, never to leave you alone by choice or by death."

Cera hummed in thought, taking his words into consideration. The decision was hers to make apparently, and he would abide by whatever she chose.

As she thought about different options, each one discarded as easily as its predecessor, there was only one that she could not forget; one that caused a feeling of warmth to spread inside her chest and just felt right. "What if… what if we started a family?"

Naruto blinked in surprise, looking down at Cera, who met his gaze anxiously. "You mean… children?"

Cera nodded without answering, still staring into Naruto's eyes.

"That… sounds nice," Naruto admitted, with a slowly forming smile on his face.

It seemed so hard to imagine at this point, actually settling down and starting a family and having kids of his own. Sure, he once assumed it would happen at some point after becoming Hokage, but that changed after he and the others went off to stop Obito and Madara. After the 4th Shinobi War had started, he had just abandoned the idea altogether, deciding he couldn't be in a relationship during a war. He never considered the possibility of living and having the chance to find someone, even though a few girls he could think of were interested in him after all that time.

Cera however, would never die before him through natural means. And his modified Rinnegan's unity aspect had integrated the eyes as a full Uzumaki dojutsu. Without wanting to get his hopes up, he had to believe that any of his children who could manifest the Rinnegan, would also not die through natural means either.

"How many were you thinking?"

"Two." Cera answered immediately. "One daughter and one son."

Naruto was now imagining a little green-haired girl with ocean-blue eyes, and a taller blonde-haired boy with deep yellow eyes, both proudly showing off their new Rinnegan to their parents. "Have you thought about their names?"

"Kushina and Minato," She again replied, without hesitation.

Naruto smiled. That meant she had only started thinking about this sometime after he had told her and Rakshata his story. He actually felt comforted by the thought of him being the first man Cera considered having children with.

"Is that a wish you must have fulfilled, or a promise you intend for me to keep?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." C.C. responded, sliding a hand behind Naruto's neck and pulling him down into a loving, yet passionate, kiss.

When her other hand gripped the front of his jacket urgently, Naruto got the message and used Hiraishin once more to bring them back to Lelouch's dorm, where the other nine kunai were still stored in their room.

Xxx

"Lelouch, what are you up to later?" Rivalz asked, clasping his friend's shoulder as they stopped on the way back from the assembly honoring the death of Prince Clovis. "We shouldn't waste a day off from classes, and people have been asking for a rematch…"

"Don't you dare go gambling!" Shirley chided the two teens fiercely.

"Gimme a break!" Rivalz said, understandably scared of an upset Shirley Fenette.

"She's right. I'm through with that," Lelouch said, surprising both Shirley and Rivalz, though for different reasons. "I've found a better opponent."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Shirley asked in confusion, though she was at least happy that Lulu would finally stop gambling.

She kept worrying that one day those nobles he played against wouldn't just accept their defeat.

"Then let me in on it too!" Rivalz requested eagerly.

Anything Lelouch found more interesting than winning money from rich nobles in chess had to be really fun!

"It's probably better you didn't. It's not your sort of game," Lelouch said, holding back a laugh at the thought of Rivalz actually participating in the fight against Britannia.

He spotted Kallen walking past them towards the academy's exit and glanced at his phone. It was already 3:00.

By now, his package would have been delivered to his dorm, where Naruto and C.C. were waiting for him to return before they made their way to Tokyo Tower. "Sorry, I've got to go. I have an appointment to keep."

Rivalz and Shirley blinked as Lelouch walked past them toward the dorm he shared with Nunnally, but shook off his behavior. This wasn't the first time Lelouch had acted strange or secretive, and they were betting it wouldn't be the last.

Xxx

"His Highness's memorial program was handled very well," Jeremiah praised the man standing before him. "A bit too weepy for my tastes, but…"

"Your Excellency, the masses enjoy a tearjerker." Diethard Ried, the producer and member of the press staff at Hi-TV, defended.

"Spoken like a true TV man." Jeremiah remarked in a way that could be taken as a compliment or an insult. "Still, I acknowledge your skills. You did well in the short time you had. One would almost think you were expecting His Highness to die."

Diethard bowed slightly in deference to the Margrave. "I'm afraid it's quite common to have memorial programs prepared for important people,"

"For me as well?" Jeremiah asked in amusement.

"After this, we may make one for you, Your Excellency." Diethard said.

Jeremiah nodded, having expected that answer. "Meaning I wasn't important enough to warrant one until now. How honest of you."

Diethard wasn't sure whether the Margrave was insulted, angry, or appreciative of the honesty, as the man kept his emotions and feelings hidden quite well.

He could respect that. "I'm afraid so.

"Feel like joining the military? We have a need for information officers." Jeremiah offered.

Men of Diethard's caliber didn't come along too often. His penchant for respectfully speaking the truth, yet ignoring how it might affect the other person, was something sorely lacking in many of the soldiers. They were all yes-men, and it was nigh impossible to receive an answer without having one's ass kissed first.

Diethard respectfully shook his head. "I'm afraid that I'm not up to the job. It's not for me."

"You prefer a civilian network?" Jeremiah asked. A shame, but he didn't hold it against the man. Diethard was serving Britannia in his own way. "No matter. I have another favor to ask of you. Tonight, Kururugi Suzaku will be transferred to his court martial."

Diethard narrowed his eyes slightly, his mind already jumping ahead to where the Margrave was leading him. "We'll get a lot of patriotic Britannians to line the roadside."

"It's helpful that you catch on so quickly." Jeremiah turned to his left where Villetta Nu, the one person he trusted the most in the purist faction, was standing. "Be sure his face can be seen clearly in the envoy."

Villetta frowned slightly. "Lord Jeremiah, there are some among the Elevens who have made Private Kururugi out to be a hero. Some groups may even be thinking of freeing him."

"I'll be providing security personally in my Sutherland." Jeremiah reassured her. He had already suspected something along those lines for himself, but he appreciated the warning nonetheless. "If any troublemakers show up, I'll execute them on the spot!"

Xxx

Lelouch closed and locked the door behind him as he quickly made his way to his room. There, sitting on his bed, were two ordinary brown boxes. The first was a thick square box, while the second was a long rectangular box. Opening the second box first, he found the new suit and cloak he'd had custom tailored for his activities as Zero.

An appearance that would both inspire his allies and terrify Britannia. It consisted of a tight dark purple suit with golden stripes and long, wrapped sleeves. The sleek bodysuit was elegant but practical. Worn over the bodysuit, was a black and gold cloak with crimson spandex inside and an enormous black cape encircling the head.

He took the opportunity to try it on and smiled as it fit him perfectly, though he honestly expected nothing less. Then he took the last box and opened it up. Almost reverently, he lifted up the spiky black and indigo mask and inspected it thoroughly. The special material that the visor was made from, was dark indigo and appeared opaque from the outside, but was actually transparent from the inside.

As per his specifications and measurements, a small slit perfectly level with his left eye, could be opened up from inside the mask by pressing a button with his chin. Lelouch slid the helmet on over his head, feeling the sections extend over the top to keep it in place, and conceal his hair when combined with the high collar of his suit. He took a moment to inspect himself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction at what he saw. This would suit him perfectly.

He checked his phone again and saw it was 3:30. He had to hurry, or he'd never get the preparations done before Kallen arrived. He removed the suit and donned some casual, yet comfortable, clothes he could wear beneath the suit without problems. He stored the suit and helmet in a silver briefcase he had bought in preparation, and walked out to the living room.

Unsurprisingly, Naruto and C.C. were already there, eating a steaming hot bowl of ramen and a large cheese pizza respectively. Bought with his credit card, he assumed. Naruto always managed to get it out of his wallet without him noticing.

"We need to get moving so I can set things up for our meeting with the terrorists."

Naruto picked up the bowl and noisily slurped down the remaining broth, before standing up. He was wearing the black and gray armor and a gray cloak with a hood to hide his blonde hair and had just slid on his face a white mask with red lines decorating it.

It resembled an animal's face, and if Lelouch had to guess, it looked like a fox. "While you were busy working with the student council yesterday, C.C. and I went downtown and checked out the tower for ourselves. I can get you down there immediately, so you'll have plenty of time to prepare."

C.C. finished the last slice of her pizza and also donned a white mask. Hers was distinctly avian in appearance, and Lelouch believed it was either a crow or a raven.

Like Naruto, she was wearing a set of black and gray armor beneath the gray cloak, which perfectly concealed her bright green hair. "One thing before we go. Naruto and I have been discussing the matter, and we both believe you should inform these terrorists about your Geass."

"What?" Lelouch asked in shock. "Are you two insane? What possible benefit could come from revealing such a powerful weapon to people who haven't even become my allies yet?"

"Your Geass has the power to issue absolute orders which cannot be disobeyed. That's _not_ a power you want your allies finding out about on their own. They'll start jumping to conclusions, and if they believe you've been manipulating or controlling them, they'll turn on you faster than you can count to zero." C.C. warned.

"You have to let them realize that they're following you of their own free will, and that they don't have to wonder whether your Geass will be used on them. If they ask to see your face, you can claim you're keeping your mask on to show you're sincere in earning their trust." Naruto added on.

Lelouch frowned, as he started weighing the pros and cons of doing as Naruto and C.C. advised in his mind, and was slightly annoyed that there were more pros to revealing the existence of his Geass than there were cons. "How will they believe me when I tell them I haven't already used my Geass on them?"

"Simple," C.C. said. "Tell them it requires eye contact, and that it induces memory gaps. You're already taking steps to prevent the former, and they'll already know for themselves if they have the latter."

"But Kallen will know I've used my Geass on her then!" Lelouch countered.

"Maybe, maybe not." C.C. said with a shrug. "You didn't keep her under for very long, and as soon as she was released, she heard you talk about Shinjuku. Considering how obsessed she was with you after hearing that, I have to wonder if she even knows there's a gap in her memory. What she remembers before having your Geass used on her, and what happened after she was released, are connected."

"What do you mean, connected?" Lelouch asked in clarification.

"She remembers you walking up to her, then seemingly changing your mind and walking away while telling her not to say anything about Shinjuku. That could have really happened within the span of a few seconds." C.C. explained patiently. "So long as you don't issue any commands to them from here on out, I think you'll be fine."

"Just keep it in mind. For now, we should get going." Naruto said impatiently.

He grabbed both Lelouch and C.C. by the arms and used the Hiraishin no Jutsu, causing the three of them to disappear in a flash of bright yellow light.

Xxx

As soon as he landed on solid ground, Lelouch stumbled forward and would have fallen if he hadn't been steadied by Naruto. They were in an alleyway just outside the massive tower. Written on the wall to his left was a line of Japanese text he couldn't read, which was starting to fade away. Checking his phone, he saw it was almost 3:40 now.

He wanted to know how Naruto had just transported them halfway across the city, but knew it would have to wait.

"Here. Bring this to the lost and found." Lelouch said, handing Naruto a disposable cell phone. "I'll board one of the tram lines and ensure we'll have some privacy for our discussion."

"Are you going to do as we suggested?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow, taking the cell phone and putting it into his pocket as both he and C.C. used henge to change appearances, now resembling the Britannians they had been last night.

"I don't like it, but I'm smart enough to understand it will only help in the long run, whatever my feelings on the matter." Lelouch grudgingly admitted. "You'll need to regroup with me after I make the call. Can you do that?"

Naruto pulled out a tri-pronged kunai and handed it to Lelouch, handle first. "Here. When you need us, just toss this to the ground. It'll draw us to you like a beacon."

Lelouch's keen mind instantly deduced what would happen, and pocketed the weapon safely. "Got it. I'll see you in twenty minutes."

The three of them parted ways to accomplish their respective tasks, knowing that this would officially mark the beginning of their path towards Britannia's destruction.

Xxx

"The overwhelming victory of Britannia made the unenlightened former government of Japan well aware of their true rank in the world. Since then, the empire and Area Eleven have joined hands and begun to walk the road towards revival."

Kallen had to force herself not to appear furious. In public like this, she was Kallen Stadtfeld, a patriotic Britannian citizen who wholly approved of Britannia's actions. She hated the fact that she had to allow this part of herself to exist, but Kozuki Kallen was far more limited in the things she could do and the places she could go. Tokyo Tower, once a symbol of pride and joy for the Japanese people, was converted into the Britannian Victory Memorial Center, a museum commemorating the Britannian victory during the occupation of Japan.

Everywhere she looked, there were pictures of Britannian soldiers and Glasgows in battle, locations throughout the country that had been damaged or destroyed by the war, and Britannia's victories, because they would not dare commemorate the battles where the Japanese had been fighting back successfully.

It all sickened her.

She saw movement in her peripheral vision, and knew it was Ohgi, Kento, and Toru following in after her. They all suspected this was a trap, even if this man's interference had saved their lives in Shinjuku. It was for that alone, that they would at least hear him out. Never would it be said that the Japanese would leave a debt unpaid, whether to this man for saving them or to Britannia for stripping them of their heritage.

The only other people on the ground floor of the tower besides them, was a Britannian couple, casually observing one of the antique AA guns Japan had tried to use against the original Glasgows. Kallen could have sworn she saw the couple glance in her direction for a moment, but when she blinked, they were once again looking at the weapon, as if their eyes had never moved

'Tokyo Tower, 4:00. Why here, of all places?'

Xxx

"It was Kururugi Suzaku who contacted us, right?" Kento asked the other two in a hushed tone.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Ohgi said, as the three of them moved over to a glass display case, and feigned interest in the pictures contained inside.

"But, he might have been arrested after he called Kallen," Toru said.

"Then this place is too dangerous for us to stay," Kento remarked.

Before anything more could be said on the subject, a loud ring sounded through the speakers, catching the attention of everyone on the floor. "Miss Kallen Stadtfeld of Ashford Academy, a lost item has been turned in for you. Please come to the service counter on the observation deck."

Ohgi, Kento, and Toru all widened their eyes in surprise and glanced to their left where they knew Kallen had been standing, only to find her missing. They headed over to the elevators as quickly as they could without seeming suspicious, completely oblivious to the Britannian couple who had been smiling and waving at them jovially, and hit the button for the third floor, hoping to catch up with Kallen before anything happened.

Xxx

"You're sure this is yours?"

Kallen picked up the cell phone from the woman's outstretched hands, and glanced at it. It was brand new, and a top of the line model too. Written on the back was her name and Ashford Academy. Whoever this man was, he certainly knew how to plan ahead. She kept staring at the phone in her hand intensely, as if it would eventually reveal the identity of their savior on its own.

"It's yours, isn't it?" The woman asked again in confirmation.

Kallen shook her head lightly, snapping out of her thoughts and looked up at the woman with a weak smile. "Y-Yes! Thank you so much."

She walked away from the counter slowly, and found herself standing in front of the window where several sets of mounted binoculars were located. When she heard the voices of Ohgi and the others, she left out a soft sigh of relief. She hoped they weren't mad at her for rushing on ahead alone, but she really wanted to know who this man was. Suddenly, the phone in her hand let her know there was an incoming call.

It had been set on vibrate as well, to avoid attracting attention through a loud ring. The caller ID labeled the other caller as ZERO. Not wanting to wait any longer, she gave a sidelong glance at Ohgi and saw him nod.

She returned the gesture anxiously, and answered the call. "Yes? Hello?"

"Ride the outer tracks of loop line #5. Bring your friends."

"Eh? Wait—" Kallen exclaimed, only for the call to hang up immediately.

He knew. He knew that Ohgi and the others were affiliated with her, and that meant he had been watching them somehow. She scanned around the observation deck discretely, then mentally berated herself for being foolish. This man, Zero she reminded herself, would not have called her from the same floor, where he might be caught.

If anything, this man was at one of the stops along loop line #5, waiting for them to arrive. She informed Ohgi, Kento, and Toru of the situation, and the three of them briskly made their way out of the tower, heading towards the station. It was time to meet Zero.

Xxx

Lelouch chuckled as he hung up the phone and stepped into the conductor's monorail car. He waited until the doors had closed in all of the other passenger cars before clearing his throat.

"Obey my commands!" Lelouch commanded with his Geass active just as the conductor turned around. Lelouch smiled in satisfaction as the familiar sight of a red ring around the man's pupil appeared. "You will shut down all cameras on this line, forget having ever seen me, and ignore everything you might see or hear coming from the passenger cars."

"I understand." The red ring faded, and the conductor turned around, prepping the monorail to leave the station, completely oblivious to Lelouch as he then made his way through the other passenger cars and ordered everyone inside to ignore everything going on around them and to sit perfectly still and silent, unless he ordered them to do something differently.

He opened up the silver briefcase he'd brought along, and donned his Zero suit over his regular clothes, before stashing the empty case beneath one of the bench seats.

"Now, all that's left to do is…" Lelouch pulled out the dagger Naruto had given him and tossed it to the ground, though with his meager strength, it looked as if he had just dropped it accidentally.

Luckily, it seemed that was enough, as the two forms of his advisers and ace pilots appeared before him in a flash of golden light. Seeing it firsthand like this was much more impressive than experiencing it, he concluded.

Naruto and C.C. dropped their Britannian disguises and now stood behind Lelouch on either side in their masked and cloaked ensembles. "Everything is ready for their arrival."

Naruto glanced around, but Lelouch simply tapped the left side of his helmet, knowing that Naruto was wondering if it was safe to talk this openly."How are you planning to free Suzaku? Should C.C. and I just go in with Seizan and Shinryoku and take him by force?"

Lelouch shook his head negative. "Such an act won't inspire much confidence in me. I need to show, not only these terrorists, but all the Japanese people that Zero can make the impossible, possible. I need to prove I can be a leader worthy of their hope and trust."

Xxx

"_Attention all passengers. If you see a suspicious item aboard this train, please report it at once via the nearest intercom_."

Kallen looked around, as she and the others boarded the very last car. Were it not for the automated messages playing through the speakers, the monorail would be devoid of all sound and noise. All of the passengers were sitting perfectly still and silent, staring at their laps like living statues. Not a single one so much as lifted their head when she and the others entered.

It was starting to worry her. Because every available seat was taken, She, Ohgi, Kento and Toru were the only ones left standing. Even though it appeared their presence wasn't garnering interest, the four of them still spread out across the car, acting as if it was just coincidence they'd entered together.

Kallen nearly jumped when the phone in her hand rang once more, but quickly answered it, after a quick confirmation that it was Zero again. "Hello?"

Ohgi narrowed his eyes as he strained his ears to listen in on the conversation. He was the closest one to Kallen without being directly next to her, but because she would be talking relatively softly, he had to really focus to discern her words.

"_Face forward and look to your right. What do you see_?"

Kallen did as she was told, and frowned, seeing the 'new and improved' portion of Tokyo. "The Britannians' city. A stolen city, built on our sacrifices."

"_Now look left_."

"I see our city. The city made by Britannia squeezing us dry." Kallen answered, taking in the ruined remains of other half of the city.

The half that had been left in shambles and ruins as a testament to the defeat of Japan.

"_Good answer. All right, come to the first car_."

Kallen's eyes widened as Zero suddenly hung up on her again. He was here! On the same train as her and the others! She started moving through the car towards the connecting door to the next. Ohgi, Kento, and Toru abandoned all pretense of anonymity and followed after her immediately, spotting more passengers in the same state as the previous.

In fact, every car they passed through had passengers who would neither move nor make a sound. The difference being that as they got closer to the front, the cars became more crowded, which made it worse as the standing passengers who were bumped or nudged reacted the same way as the passengers who were sitting. Not at all. When they finally got through to the first car, Kallen gasped.

It was completely empty, save for three people at the other end, all of which had their backs towards her. There were subtle movements that let her know these three were aware of their entrance unlike the passengers, but did not turn around.

She focused her attention on the figure in the middle, the most likely one to be Zero. "Was it you? Tell us! Are you three the ones who helped us fight in Shinjuku? Was the cease-fire order your doing, too?"

As the monorail entered a tunnel, shrouding the car in darkness, the three figures suddenly spun around, with the two at the sides taking a step back so the one in the middle was in front. Kallen and the others gasped. All three were wearing masks. The two at the sides were wearing white and red animal masks, with dark eye holes that couldn't be seen into from this distance.

The movement of spinning around caused the cloaks surrounding them to flutter up slightly, allowing her to see that they each carried a sword on their person. And not just any sword, but Japanese blades. That reassured her a bit. The man in the middle was wearing a dark mask that intimidated her at first glance.

His entire body was covered by a high-collared black cloak that framed him like a set of folded wings. She couldn't help but compare him to a hawk preparing to strike, or a bat waiting in the shadows.

"Yes, I am Zero. With me are my personal knights, Seizan and Shinryoku." Lelouch answered, gesturing towards Naruto and C.C. respectively.

Ohgi, Kento, and Toru lost some of the stiffness in their shoulders at those code names. They were distinctly Japanese names, and meaningful ones at that. Names they didn't believe a Britannian would know or care to go looking for.

"What do you think of my little tour of this settlement?" Lelouch asked them, smiling behind his mask.

Naruto and C.C. had once again proven their worth as his… war advisers, by suggesting that they actually be introduced by their Knightmare names to the terrorists. That familiarity those names produced had helped to ease and lower the terrorists' guard.

"Tour?" Ohgi asked in confusion.

"I wanted you to have a true appreciation of them. Of the settlement and the ghetto!" Lelouch declared, gesturing with his arms at the two differing cities.

Kallen glanced at Ohgi, who nodded and took a step forward. "Yes, there's a difference between us and the Britannians! A desperate difference! That's why we fight as the resistance!"

"You're wrong." Lelouch denied. "Terrorism will not defeat Britannia!"

"Defeat?" Ohgi muttered, unable to believe such a thing was possible.

A battle in the ghettos was one thing, but the nation as a whole?

"Terrorism is merely a childish nuisance." Lelouch continued as if he hadn't been interrupted.

"What was that?!" Kento exclaimed angrily.

"Are you saying we're nothing more than kids?" Toru asked.

"Don't mistake your enemy. It isn't the Britannian people, but Britannia itself!" Lelouch declared. "What you need is to fight a war! Without involving the civilians! Attacking the civilians of the nation amounts to nothing more than simple terrorism, and only helps Britannia rally the people against you, against your cause! Do you not see? It is the empire _itself _that is corrupt, and must be toppled before Japan and all the other territories can be free. Make up your minds now! Follow me, and take the path of righteousness!"

Kallen scowled at the nerve of this man, to talk down to them like that. "Don't be absurd! It's easy to say whatever you want, but it means nothing unless you have the ability to back it up! How could we trust someone who won't even show us his face!"

"She's right!" Kento agreed fiercely.

"Take off the mask!" Toru ordered.

"I hide my face for your protection," Lelouch calmly informed them. He glanced at Naruto and C.C. from inside his mask, and saw them nod subtly. "I am in possession of a power that allows me to issue commands to people, commands that cannot be disobeyed."

Kallen felt a chill run down her spine. "Stop lying. There's no way such a power could exist!"

"Oh no?" Lelouch asked. "Tell me, did any of the other passengers make any noise or even acknowledge your presence as you made your way to this car? Did any of them even move?"

The four self-proclaimed resistance members glanced at each other in shock and alarm, understanding dawning on their faces.

"Y-You… you commanded them not to move?" Ohgi finally managed to ask.

"I commanded them to ignore everything they see and hear, and to remain perfectly still and silent for the duration of the trip." Lelouch explained. "I also used this power on former viceroy Clovis so he would declare a ceasefire in the Shinjuku ghettos."

That was a lie, but not only would it show them that this power could help, it would also start pulling them away from thoughts of how this power might be used to manipulate and hurt.

"How do we know you're not using it on us now?" Kento asked suspiciously.

"This power requires eye contact. I can see your eyes through this mask, but so long as the same cannot be said about you, I cannot use my Geass on you." Lelouch said, placating the man significantly. "Furthermore, there is a side effect of slight memory loss. If you have been affected, you will have a gap in your memory that you cannot fill."

Kallen frowned, as there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that those words should mean something to her, but she couldn't come up with a reason. Maybe the thought of that power, Geass, scared her so much, that she wanted there to be a reason to mistrust Zero and decline his offer.

"So, you're wearing the mask to try and earn our trust." Ohgi stated in realization. He both appreciated the effort and disliked that it was necessary. He wouldn't want to see Zero's identity for the risk of being commanded to do something against his will. "None of us have any memory gaps, and you saved countless lives with that ceasefire order. But… you murdered Clovis afterwards, didn't you? And you framed Kururugi Suzaku for it."

Lelouch shook his head and held up a hand, forestalling the inevitable comments that would come from their incorrect conclusion. "I did kill Clovis, but he more than deserved his death. The responsibility for the assault on the Shinjuku ghettos can be laid solely at his feet. Having fought there, I'm sure you can give me a better estimate of how many innocent lives were lost because of his actions."

Kallen narrowed her eyes and clenched her right fist. 'Too many…'

"But… I did not frame Kururugi Suzaku for my actions. That was the doing of one Jeremiah Gottwald, a member of the purist faction and one of the most vocal denouncers of the honorary Britannian system." Lelouch informed Ohgi. "To him, Kururugi Suzaku is a tool to further his ambitions to have the system abolished."

"And if that happens…" Kallen trailed off, her eyes hardening in understanding, her teeth clenching in disgust. "Then those citizens fortunate enough to have earned the right to live in the settlement…"

"…will have the lives they worked so hard to earn, torn from them by force." Lelouch finished. "They may even be arrested or executed for believing themselves to be the equals of Britannians."

Ohgi remained silent, as he took in the vast influx of knowledge Zero had just revealed to them. Every doubt they had thrown at Zero, he had rebuffed with logic or actual proof.

It really did seem like Zero wanted to help them, but he couldn't just trust the man so easily. "Tell me, are those two beside you under the influence of your Geass? Were they angry Japanese patriots or soldiers you commanded to serve you loyally?" He pointed at the two cloaked figures behind Zero who so far had remained silent.

Lelouch chuckled in amusement. He saw that this was drawing a negative reaction from the four, and so managed to cut himself off. "Forgive me, but the idea that I could command either of these two against their will is amusing. No, Seizan and Shinryoku are the only ones immune to the power of Geass, and even have the ability to remove its effects from others. Consider it added insurance if you ever doubt my word, that my allies will be protected from this power."

"We seek Britannia's defeat as much as you do but we three alone will not be enough to defeat Britannia and the army it has amassed no matter what skill or power we posses." The fox masked man, Seizan stated.

"As Zero stated, in order to become a force that will free Japan you must become more than resistance fighters. You must become an army of your own." The avian masked woman, Shinryoku continued.

That did a lot to reassure Ohgi. "After what I've seen and heard, I'm finding it hard to doubt you. But that doesn't mean I can just trust you at face value."

"I would have a very low opinion of your leadership if you did," Lelouch assured him. "If you desire proof of my commitment, I shall give it to you. Instead of showing you my face I shall show you my power and that the impossible is possible and free Kururugi Suzaku from the clutches of the Britannian military tonight."

Xxx

"He killed the Britannian Prince! Kururugi Suzaku should be treated as a hero!"

"But he's an honorary Britannian!"

"Isn't he the son of the late Prime Minister Kururugi?"

"You mean the man who gave up Japan! The people don't know that about him!"

The argument between General Katase Tatewaki and Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe Josui, over whether to aid Kururugi Suzaku, had been going back and forth for more than an hour now, with many of the JLF members in the room moving to stand behind the man they believed to be right. The only one who had not taken a side was Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh Kyoshirou, also known as Kiseki no Tohdoh.

"The Shinjuku incident was the work of Kozuki's group, wasn't it?" Katase asked.

"Yes, General." Kusakabe confirmed. "They're currently led by a man named Ohgi."

"Your thoughts, Tohdoh?" Katase asked, turning to face the highly decorated war hero who was kneeling at the front of the room, his personal katana lying in front of him.

Tohdoh remained silent, contemplating the situation carefully. He had to think of the situation as a member of the JLF and not as Kururugi Suzaku's former instructor. For a crime as severe as Kururugi was being charged with, the Britannian security around the prisoner transport would be quite high.

His choice was clear. "We have no duty to join him in a public execution."

"Such cowardice!" Kusakabe exclaimed. "Are you really the one they call Kiseki no Tohdoh?"

"You shouldn't confuse a miracle with foolishness!" Tohdoh countered. "Our duty is towards the liberation of Japan as a whole. Kururugi Suzaku made his choice to join the Britannian military. Let him accept the consequences of his actions."

Xxx

"Any moment. Any moment now! Just look at the crowds lining the route. All of them, waiting! Waiting for the man accused of killing Prince Clovis! Waiting for honorary Britannian Kururugi Suzaku to pass by! Waiting for the former Eleven!"

"Camera 5's slow. Charles, have you got the crowd set up?" Standing by inside the Channel 5 HI-TV van, was Diethard Reid, the man personally assigned to capture this entire spectacle on camera for the public. He had personally put the word out for the people to gather along the route and had cameramen interspersed in the crowds to get the best shots. "Huh? The studio? Let them wait. There's no delay. Everything's going as planned. Here he comes…"

"I… I can see it! It's Kururugi, the suspect!"

Coming down the main road from the viceroy's palace now, was the prisoner transport surrounded by four Sutherlands.

"There, you see?" Diethard clicked off his microphone and let out a sigh as the smile was wiped off his face instantly. "This sham… I'm as corrupt as any of them."

Xxx

"Murderer!"

"Scum!"

"Damned Eleven!"

"We want our prince back!"

"Voices of resentment! Voices of anger, growing louder! Voices giving proof of the love the prince's people had for him! Righteous voices which judge the terrorist!"

Jeremiah allowed himself a smirk, enjoying the resounding cries of the people that filled the air as they passed by. Things were going just as he expected. With this much public support, the goals of the purist faction would be assured.

"Acting consul Jeremiah!"

"What is it?" Jeremiah snapped at the man contacting him through the emergency only channel.

"Vehicle approaching the main highway from Third Street. We let it pass as instructed, but…"

Now Jeremiah understood why the man had contacted him. "Do you believe your target is a terrorist vehicle?"

"Well, sir… it's Prince Clovis's car."

"The prince's?" Jeremiah frowned.

Whoever was heading this way in the prince's personal car was making a statement, a challenge. Well, he would meet that challenge head on.

"Let him through to us! All forces, halt!" Jeremiah signaled, holding up his right hand.

The prisoner transport and the four Knightmare on protective detail all came to a halt in the middle of the road.

Xxx

"They stopped! They really did!" Ohgi exclaimed in surprise.

The other resistance members gathered around the TV in the warehouse they based themselves out of, also expressed varying degrees of shock and amazement. Except for one.

"Heh! It was just a coincidence!" Tamaki dismissed easily.

"But, Zero predicted Jeremiah would do that because he likes being the center of attention…" Ohgi reminded him.

"Coincidence!" Tamaki retorted irritadely. "It's bad enough we have this guy waiting around with us, we don't need you taking their side too, Ohgi!"

Waiting in the shadows, was the fox-masked Seizan, who Zero had insisted accompany them back to their base of operations. He claimed it would help facilitate their escape, so Ohgi had relented and agreed. Naruto's Shadow Clone had its hands hidden beneath the cloak, waiting patiently for the signal as it focused on the screen.

Xxx

'This isn't going to work. We're going to be killed.' Kallen thought frantically, as she slowly drove the car up the street towards the waiting Knightmares.

Jeremiah easily spotted the personal car of Prince Clovis making its way towards them from the opposite end of the street, and stopped just in front of their position. He hadn't been told what had actually happened to the car after the viceroy's murder, but he assumed it had simply been scrapped, as the prince's personal transport was just that. Meant for Prince Clovis's transportation only.

"Get out, you who would dare to spoil His Highness' transport!" Jeremiah called out.

The large Britannian flag adorning the front of the transport suddenly ignited in flames and burned away almost instantly, to reveal a masked, cloaked figure standing atop the car like a giant bat. "I… am Zero!"

"Wh-Who is this person? This man calling himself Zero who stands in front of the convoy! Could he be a terrorist? But if he is, what a foolish mistake!"

Xxx

Diethard stared hard at the figure now taking up every screen in the news van.

"Zero… as in nothing?" he asked himself.

Xxx

Jeremiah looked at the crowds on either side of the route, and saw they were all focusing on this new stranger who had captured their attention with just three simple words. "That's enough, Zero! Your little show is at an end!"

He raised a pistol into the air and fired off a shot, giving the signal for the four VTOLs to release the Sutherlands they'd been carrying. The four Knightmare dropped down around the prince's car, rifles raised to fire upon him. However, two new Knightmares, one primarily green and the other blue, rose straight up out of the ground without so much as breaking or disturbing the solid concrete.

They were positioned on either side of the car in a way that put them between two Knightmares each.

"You have your toys, Jeremiah, and I have mine!" Lelouch said mockingly.

"Those are—" Suzaku tried to warn only for the collar around his neck to deliver a painful electrical shock for his efforts.

The Margrave scowled as he took in the two new Knightmares. They looked a lot more advanced than the Britannian Sutherlands, and they were a good deal larger as well. Though he'd been forced to eject early, Jeremiah had heard the rumors of the prototype Lancelot being defeated by a pair of advanced Knightmares that left it buried in the ground. Were these the Knightmares?

No matter. Even if they had defeated the Lancelot, which he still doubted, that was one Knightmare. He was confident these two would not fare so well against eight Knightmares.

"So you have two Knightmares. Am I supposed to be impressed? Remove that mask Zero, or my men will fire!" Jeremiah ordered.

Lelouch raised his right hand up to the mask, appearing as if he was going to follow through with the order, until he sent it up into the air and snapped his fingers. The two halves of the transport fell apart to reveal a large circular canister contained in the back.

"What the…?" Jeremiah gasped.

"Lord Jeremiah, that's…!" Villetta called out from her Knightmare at the rear of the convoy.

'Yes, Jeremiah. As you never saw what was contained inside this canister, you assume it is a poison gas capsule.' Lelouch thought with an arrogant smile behind his mask.

"No! That's just—" Suzaku received another painful electric jolt through his throat for trying to speak once more.

"You… you bastard…" Jeremiah muttered furiously. 'He's taken every Britannian here hostage! Without them even knowing they're hostages!'

He leveled the handgun straight at Zero's mask.

"You intend to shoot me? I think you know the consequences should you miss." Lelouch taunted.

Jeremiah bit back a curse, as he knew Zero was right. If he missed, and accidently hit the canister, he would be the one responsible for who knew how many Britannian deaths. He reluctantly lowered the gun and motioned for the Knightmares to do so as well.

Xxx

"Unit six, bring up the sound and get the camera on his face." Diethard ordered, excited to see something worthwhile.

"Sir, it's too hairy out there." One the workers protested.

"Tch, amateurs." Diethard muttered as he grabbed a camera and rushed out to the scene.

Xxx

"Very well. Your demands?"

"An exchange." Lelouch said simply. "This for Kururugi Suzaku."

"Absurd!" Jeremiah roared. "This man is charged with high treason for the murder of Prince Clovis! I can't hand him over!"

"No, you're mistaken, Jeremiah. He isn't the murderer. The one who killed Clovis… was me!" Lelouch declared dramatically, staring right into the camera that Diethard was focusing on his mask just as he arrived.

'He's gone too far. We can't escape! It's hopeless now…' Kallen thought, shaking in fear, her hands gripping onto the steering wheel like a lifeline.

"Think about it Jeremiah. For the life of one Eleven, you'll save the lives of countless precious Britannians. I don't think it's such a bad deal for you."

Diethard smiled excitingly as he continued watching everything through his camera. 'This is all a show for him, one big performance.'

"He's mad!" Jeremiah snapped. "Disguising this truck as His Highness's, he mocks us! We'll make him pay!"

He leveled the gun at Zero's mask once more, as the other Sutherlands around Zero readied their rifles, only for the blue and green Knightmares to pull out a pair of MVS blades and fans respectively.

"Are you sure about this? You want the public to know about Orange?" Lelouch asked threateningly.

'Orange? Is he serious? That's my favourite color!' Naruto complained in his head as he watched from his cockpit.

Lelouch tapped his foot against the top of the car twice, which gave Kallen the signal to start driving forward slowly.

"If I die, it will all go public," Lelouch continued. "If you don't want that to happen…"

"What are you talking about? What are you saying?" Jeremiah asked in confusion as Zero steadily approached his Knightmare.

Lelouch lowered his chin as soon as he was within range of Jeremiah, sliding open the hatch in front of his left eye and activated his Geass. "Release Kururugi Suzaku to me, and do everything in your power to aid our escape!"

Jeremiah, now with a glowing red ring surrounding his pupil nodded obediently. "Hmph! Understood. Give them the prisoner!"

"Lord Jeremiah, what did you just say?!" Villetta asked in shock.

"Give them the prisoner! No one is to interfere!" Jeremiah repeated.

One of the Sutherlands standing in front of the green Knightmare slid back until it was right beside Jeremiah's, the hatch opening up to reveal a uniformed Britannian man. "What are you thinking, making a deal at a time like this?!"

Jeremiah turned on the man sharply, his eyes blazing in fury. "Lord Kewell! This is an order!"

Left with no other choice, the armed guards on the prisoner transport unbound Kururugi Suzaku's arms and allowed him to walk over to Zero who was approaching on foot as well.

"Who the hell—" Suzaku started to ask, but had to stop as another painful jolt surged through his already injured throat.

"I didn't expect they'd allow you to speak," Lelouch said knowingly, examining the shock collar around Suzaku's neck.

Kallen stepped out of the car and stepped up beside him, wearing the white chauffeur's outfit Clovis had required his driver to wear.

"If they get away we'll be disgraced!" Villetta cursed as she got back into her Sutherland.

"Zero, it's time." Kallen said.

"Then, we'll talk later," Lelouch said as he raised a detonator and slammed his thumb down on the trigger.

Xxx

"Oi, where's he going?!" Tamaki angrily asked as the masked figure started running out of the warehouse towards the open construction area near the back.

Ohgi narrowed his eyes, knowing that their escape was about to begin, but didn't move to follow the masked man. For one thing, he was running extremely fast. And Ohgi figured he'd see what would happen to Zero for himself on TV anyways.

Xxx

The gas canister instantly started releasing clouds of dark red smoke into the streets, sending the people alongside the street running and screaming in fear.

"Tch, cowardly Elevens!" Villetta slid back into her Sutherland and raised her rifle to fire on Zero, only for both of her Knightmare's hands to be cleanly sliced off by the fan wielding green Knightmare.

Before she could react, the green Knightmare then sent the fans flying to cut her Sutherland's legs off, dropping the now immobile and defenceless Knightmare to the ground. Seizan quickly followed Shinryoku's actions, disarming and crippling the remaining three enemy Sutherlands around him with his twin kodachi, but leaving them still mostly intact on the ground. They didn't want to cause any explosions that might catch escaping civilians. Kewell, seeing the quick defeat of Villetta, brought his own rifle to bear, and managed to fire off a few rounds towards the blue Knightmare, only for them to be deflected or cut in half by the twin MVS blades it wielded.

"I-Impossible!" He was then dropped to one leg, as the left landspinner, and subsequently the leg it was attached to, were shot apart by Jeremiah.

"Lord Kewell! Will you follow my orders or not?!" Jeremiah asked his fellow purist faction member in outrage. "Any further actions will result in punishment! Is this clear?! I'll say this to all units! Let them go at all costs!"

Seizan and Shinryoku quickly regrouped around Zero, Suzaku and Kallen. The three of them had their hands gripping onto the legs of one of the Knightmares, though Lelouch had to force Suzaku to place his hand there. Right before the eyes of all who were watching, the entire group was surrounded by a large cloud of smoke. Kewell chose to disobey Jeremiah's orders, and fired blindly into the smoke. When it cleared, it revealed not a trace of the Knightmares, Kururugi Suzaku or Zero.

They had all just vanished into thin air.

Xxx

Naruto's Shadow Clone looked up at the two towering Knightmares that he'd just summoned into the much more spacious warehouse just past the construction area. While the smoke was still obscuring him from view, he dispersed himself. The real Naruto would be accompanying Lelouch to his private talk with Suzaku anyways. Seizan and Shinryoku both shut down, as their pilots climbed down and stood beside Lelouch, still in his Zero persona.

"Evacuation was successful, Zero. Just as you predicted."

"Naturally," Lelouch remarked confidently. "Kallen, would you mind heading back to your friends? Suzaku and I need to discuss things privately."

Kallen looked as if she were about to protest, but nodded and left the four alone to their private discussion. She had wanted to ask how Zero managed to teleport them clear across the city from the middle of a hot zone, but somehow she knew she wouldn't get the answer.

Xxx

"I really didn't think they'd manage to save him," Kento remarked, in amazement.

"I call bullshit!" Tamaki exclaimed. "How often would a bluff like that work anyways? And he would have died if those fancy Knightmares weren't there to help him!"

"He could have done it without the Knightmares, you know?" Kallen said, as she walked up to the group. "I think he only brought them to show them off. To prove that he has resources that, not only help him fight on even ground with Britannia, but surpass them in combat."

"It is the kind of demonstration that would promote a lot of confidence in him." Toru admitted with a small smile. "A figure the people can bet their hopes on."

"He did exactly what he said he would," Ohgi said. "Who else but him could have pulled that off? Even the Japan Liberation Front couldn't do that. Or at least, we couldn't have done it. We all thought war with the Britannians was impossible. But maybe, with them, it's possible."

Xxx

"Looks like they treated you roughly," Lelouch remarked, looking over the injuries he could see just on Suzaku's face alone. "Now you really know what they're like, Private Kururugi. Britannia is rotten. If you want to change the world, then join me!"

Suzaku glared at Zero, who was standing across from him, flanked by the two Knightmare pilots who had bested him. "Did you… Is it true that you killed Prince Clovis?"

"This is war," Lelouch stated bluntly. "It's natural to kill an enemy commander."

Suzaku frowned, but reluctantly conceded that point to Zero. "What about the poison gas? And taking all those civilians hostage?!"

"Just a bluff I used for the exchange." Lelouch said dismissively. "As a result, nobody was killed."

The ends justify the means. That's what Zero was telling him. He could not accept that kind of thinking. "The results? I see… that's all that matters to you."

Lelouch extended out his right hand to Suzaku. "Join me. The Britannia you serve is a worthless nation."

"Maybe that's true. However… I can change it into a worthwhile nation! From within Britannia!" Suzaku declared.

'Change it?' Lelouch thought, as he contemplated Suzaku's goal.

"Because I think the ends are just as worthless if the means to them are wrong!" Suzaku stated as he turned around and started walking towards the warehouse exit.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Lelouch demanded.

"My court martial begins in an hour." Suzaku answered.

"A-Are you stupid?!" Lelouch shouted, clenching his fist in rage. "That trial is set up just to find you guilty! The prosecution, the judge, the defense…!"

"Even so, those are the rules. If I don't go, they'll begin oppressing Elevens and honorary Britannians." Suzaku said, as he stopped walking.

"More than normal, you mean?" Naruto asked rhetorically, finally speaking up.

He couldn't stay silent any longer at this boy's idiocy and naivety. It was as if he wanted to pretend everything that was wrong and unfair in the world didn't exist. Such thinking would get not only himself, but others around him killed. Naruto knew better.

You had to acknowledge that the world was filled with cruelty, unfairness, and even death.

"Yes. Things will only get worse for them." Suzaku confirmed. "If I go back, it might help sway things for the better."

Naruto shook his head in exasperation, but refused to say anything more on the matter. He sensed feelings of shame and regret in Suzaku, emotions that come from trying to atone for some great crime. There was more to him than just his believes.

Lelouch on the other hand, had no such compunctions."But you'll die!"

"I don't care." Suzaku turned around to glance at them. "I want to bring you in, but if I tried now, you'd just have me killed. If I'm going to die, I want it to be for the sake of everyone. Still… thank you. For saving my life."

With that said, Suzaku walked straight out of the warehouse, back towards the courthouse to be judged.

Lelouch sighed and glanced over at Naruto. "Is it possible? To change Britannia from something despicable to something decent?"

Naruto remained silent for a few moments before answering. "Let me put it this way. Some of my greatest friends were once dangerous enemies who tried to kill me. I learned about them, understood them, and accepted them. Many of them had felt a pain that I too felt before. I changed them. But… I also acknowledge there are enemies beyond redemption. Enemies that are so horrible, they must be eliminated with extreme prejudice."

"And which is Britannia?" Lelouch asked curiously, genuinely interested in the answer.

"It doesn't matter. Either way, they'll need to be defeated."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

"Lelouch, are you serious about waging war on Britannia? The entire Britannian Empire?"

Lelouch turned and looked at Naruto as he put his costume away. They had just returned home and Lelouch was still annoyed over Suzaku's decision that put a major dent in his plans. Naruto himself believed that Suzaku was an idiot who ignored all the wrongs and cruelty Britannia was doing and even contradicted himself for looking down Zero's methods despite the fact that in war both sides did everything they could to win, even so called dishonorable tactics. There was no good or honor or what was right in war, just the side that manages to win.

Just about everyone who fights in a war could be considered evil, even himself.

"After what you have just witnessed you still have doubts?" Lelouch asked, wondering what was on Naruto's mind.

"There is something I believe C.C. should tell you." Naruto closed his eyes.

Xxx

"_You know why Nunnally was blind, don't you?_" _Naruto asked when he and C.C. entered the room they would be using in Lelouch and Nunnally's home._

_"Hm, I guess you can catch on pretty quick when you want to." C.C. answered, not surprised by Naruto's question._

_"Cera." Naruto looked at her. "If my Rinnegan can see someone affected by Geass the same goes for you and you knew about Lelouch and his sister before we arrived in Shinjuku. I haven't asked you about anything from your past but if there is something I or Lelouch should know if we're going to war with a third of the world I'd like to know now than later."_

_C.C. frowned as she led Naruto onto the roof. "All right. Since you were so truthful with me when we met I suppose the same should go for me."_

Xxx

Naruto led Lelouch to the dining room where they saw C.C. folding origami with Nunnally.

"Welcome back, Lelouch. I see you've decided to eat out tonight since you still have crumbs on the corner of your mouth." C.C. said with a smirk as Lelouch's right eye twitched.

Nunnally giggled. "You shouldn't eat so fast. Food sticks to your face. But I think you were right to hurry back. Our new friend Tsunade has been waiting hours for you and Mr. Naruto to come back."

"Just Naruto please." Naruto smiled.

"Nunnally I need to have a talk with Naruto and Tsunade regarding their stay here." Lelouch said, wondering what Naruto wanted to speak to him about.

C.C. shrugged. "Well, no time like the present. I'm sure Nunnally and I could have some more fun later."

"That would be nice." Nunnally yawned. "Good night to you all. I'm going to bed."

"I'll tuck you in." Lelouch smiled. "Naruto, Tsunade, could you wait in my room?"

Xxx

"There is more to those two than meets the eye, Master Lelouch."

Lelouch froze when Sayoko spoke to him after he closed the door to Nunnally's room. He needed an excuse and fast. He would probably have to use his Geass on her if she got too suspicious.

"What makes you say that?" Lelouch slowly asked.

"They both seem familiar with combat and they have a look in their eyes that tell they are much more than they appear." Sayoko answered.

"And how can you tell?"

Sayoko was a silent for a second. "I saw the same look in soldiers who carried themselves when talking about war. The same look you have, My Lord."

Lelouch's eyes widened. She knew?

"I noticed you having that look the day after Shinjuku." Sayoko explained.

Lelouch quickly said. "Don't worry Sayoko; they will not endanger me or Nunnally."

"Especially since I would never harm a little girl."

Sayoko and Lelouch turned around and saw Naruto leaning against the wall. "Perhaps you should sit in as well, Sayoko-san."

Xxx

C.C. was sitting on Lelouch's bed as the door opened. "Finally. You know how bored I was getting?"

"Sorry. We got sidetracked." Naruto answered as he leaned against the wall.

"Now that we are here perhaps we can begin." Sayoko spoke, looking between both of her master's guests.

"And she is?" C.C. asked, eyeing the maid calmly.

"Sayoko Shinozaki, 37th successor to the Shinozaki School of Martial Arts and maid of Lelouch Lamperouge and Nunnally Lamperouge." Sayoko answered with a wary look at both newcomers. "Who are you and why are you here?"

"Perhaps Lelouch should start?" Naruto gestured. "She's obviously figured out you've been up to something so your better of telling her now."

Lelouch sighed and began explaining what had happened that day on Shinjuku, attaining his Geass, killing Clovis to stop the massacre, becoming Zero and rescuing Suzaku.

"…And after Suzaku refused to join us we came back here." Lelouch finished.

"Change Britannia from within." C.C. echoed Suzaku's words. "Men with more charisma, strength, and intelligence than him have tried and failed."

"What's worse is that he believes he can do through the right methods." Naruto closed his eyes. "In his mind if the results are done through 'contemptible means' are worthless. This coming from the man who is a soldier?"

C.C. snorted. "He'll either be dead or wises up to the fact that he cannot change Britannia the way he is."

Sayoko had remained silent that whole time, only narrowing her eyes when she heard Lelouch was almost killed by Britannian soldiers. "My Lord, does this mean you intend to wage war against your father?"

"I do." Lelouch nodded.

"Is it because you seek revenge?"

"…I admit it is part of the reason. A motive based purely based on revenge is not a valid reason for risking my life. I plan to do it because I know that Nunnally and I will always be in danger of being discovered and taken back to be used by that _man_." Lelouch said the last word with hate in his voice. "I will not let him endanger Nunnally's future again."

"And do you plan to use this power, your Geass?" Sayoko asked.

"I do. To not use such ability would be foolish. But I was planning to rebel without Geass anyways, this only allowed me accelerate my timeline. I seek to use it to fight Britannia!" Lelouch declared with complete commitment in his voice.

Sayoko remained silent for a moment. ""I have only one last question, My Lord. Can you win?"

"…I cannot guarantee victory with absolute certainty, Sayoko, as there are too many unknown factors and variables at this time…But I promise you I will do everything in my power to emerge victorious."

Naruto and C.C. watched as Sayoko remained silent for a moment before walking over to Lelouch and kneeling before him.

"Sayoko?"

"If that is your answer, Master, than I ask you my lord to allow me to aid you in this mission. Will you allow me to stand by your side?"

Lelouch was silent with shock for a moment before smiling. "Then I, Lelouch Lamperouge, formerly Lelouch Vi Britannia accept your aid from this day forward. You will not regret it."

Sayoko beamed as she stood up. "Arigatou, Lelouch-sama."

"Now then, Sayoko, the first order I have for you is keeping Nunnally safe and in the dark of what I plan to do as Zero." Lelouch said.

Sayoko frowned. "Is that wise, My Lord?"

"I know how you feel and I would tell Nunnally myself, however I know Nunnally would never agree with my methods or my plans. She dislikes violence, believing it should only be used in self defence and her moral views would attract unwanted attention." Lelouch explained with a hint of sadness on his face at having to lie to his little sister. "She is happy with living in this house with her loving brother but she doesn't realize that unless something is done about the Emperor we will always be in danger. That is why I can't allow her to know for as long as possible."

"…Very well." Sayoko nodded her head.

"Now then, Naruto." Lelouch turned to the two onlookers. "There is something you wanted to tell me?"

"There is something you should know concerning both your family and Geass." Naruto answered.

"Which is?"

"That your father has a Geass as well." C.C. answered.

After telling Naruto about her time with the Imperial Court, including Charles's plan Naruto immediately suggested telling Lelouch, reasoning that leaving him in the dark was a bad idea. C.C. agreed but only to telling Lelouch most of the truth, believing the rest should be kept secret for now and Naruto reluctantly agreed when she explained her reasons.

Lelouch's eyes widened as he shouted. "Wh-WHAT?!"

"Yes. Charles zi Britannia is in possession of a Geass, one that he is able to control perfectly." C.C. nodded.

"Did you give it to him?" Lelouch asked sharply with narrowed eyes. "And is it anything like mine or yours?"

"No. That was done through a close confidant of his named V.V. And no Geass is the same as the others. Yours is the power of Absolute Obedience, able to command anyone to do anything you tell them through eye contact. Charles's Geass is the Power of Memory Manipulation, allowing him to alter, suppress, or change the memories of anyone and he doesn't need eye contact to do it. He can even suppress a person's Geass by making them forget they have one and it can work on the same person more than once." C.C. explained.

Lelouch's eyes widened when he considered the implications of what could happen if the Emperor ever used his Geass on him. That would mean facing him was out of the question, unless he had some way to block it.

"You should also know that the more you rely on your Geass the stronger it will become and the more difficult it will be for you to deactivate. Eventually it will become too strong and will remain permanently active. You should also know that should you start to experience mental instability your Geass will activate on its own, causing what we call a 'runaway Geass'. Beware when using this power, Lelouch." C.C. continued calmly.

Lelouch and Sayoko's eyes widened, especially Lelouch's when he realized the danger of his Geass going active without him knowing.

"Is there a way to stop it?" Sayoko asked.

"The only way to ensure everyone's safety is everyone wearing reflective glasses, using lenses, or even an eye patch to cover your eye." C.C. answered with a nod.

"So, I will have to wear lenses over my left eye." Lelouch frowned.

"Both of your eyes eventually. When your Geass becomes strong enough it will activate in your right eye as well." C.C. replied. "It takes years of practising to learn how to fully control your Geass when it's fully evolved before you can deactivate it at will."

"Does anyone else in the Imperial Court have a Geass?" Lelouch immediately asked, wanting to know about any potential threats.

"Yes. The Knight of the One, Bismark Waldstein and a secret order of Geass users set up by Charles and V.V. to study and produce Geass users that answer only to the Emperor and carry out secret missions for him. I used to be part of that group but I defected seven years ago so my information is outdated but I know that there is a total of fifty Geass users with only a few of them being available for missions since most of them are children." C.C. nodded.

"And what is Bismark's Geass?" Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "And will any of them come after us?"

"I doubt they will send anyone after us soon since the military is currently in chaos from the death of Clovis and the Pure Blood's humiliation. As for Bismark, he claims his Geass can see the future, but in reality it allows him to see the trajectories of all of his opponents, instantly knowing their moves a few seconds in advance and instantly know how to counter them. The Power of Reading Trajectory."

'Sounds like the Byakugan without the 360 degree vision or the white eyes.' Naruto thought.

"The only person to ever defeat this Geass was Marianne vi Britannia, the Flash." C.C. continued.

'The Flash huh?' Naruto thought with an ironic smile.

Lelouch's eyes widened as dinner plates. "My mother defeated this power?"

"She did." C.C. nodded, remembering her conversation with Naruto.

Xxx

_"So Lelouch's mother could transfer her soul into anyone she chose through eye contact?" Naruto asked and when C.C. nodded he sighed. "Great. Another Orochimaru wannabee. So they're making this plan to somehow kill the Gods of this world using something called the Sword of Akasha and Thought Elevators to make all of humanity one being? Sounds too much like Madara wanted to do."_

_"The thought is essentially the same but they will need two Codes and since my Code was absorbed by our contract Charles and Marianne will need to find another Code bearer." C.C. answered._

_Naruto frowned. "Did you ever plan on telling Lelouch about this?"_

_"Not at first, if I hadn't met you I would have used Lelouch as a way to take my Code so I could finally die but I know keeping the both of you in the dark would be bad, especially if the Geass Directorate finds about you, Naruto. However I do not think we should tell Lelouch about his mother's Geass since he could never accept that his mother abandoned him and his sister like their father or that she has a Geass as well that she used to cheat death. I'll consider telling him when he's ready." C.C. calmly replied. "I don't need him as much as I would have if it had not been for you, Naruto but at the same time I recognize that Lelouch needs to mentally mature, especially now that he has a Geass."_

_"Fine, I'll give you that. Still, there is the matter of this Ragnarok and the fact that Marianne can speak to you." Naruto pointed out._

_"Don't worry. I severed my connection with her." C.C. answered._

_"Really? When?" Naruto asked._

_"When I realized what she, Charles, and V.V. would do if they learned of your existence." C.C. smiled. "If they realized what kind of power you had they along with the Knights of the Round would swarm Japan before Lelouch can assemble a proper rebellion. They might know you have a contract with me and figure out that Lelouch has a Geass by now but they won't know about what you really are."_

_"That's nice to know." Naruto sighed in relief. "You had me worried for a second, Cera."_

_"What have I told you about using my name outside of bed?" C.C. asked with an irate look._

_"It's your name and despite the fact that you believe you've severed your humanity I don't believe that. Plus, you're kind of human now once you think about it." Naruto smirked. "There's nothing wrong with using your name once in a while."_

_"Fine, but only use it when no one is around us." C.C. relented while thinking. 'Annoying soft hearted idiot.'_

_"So, if you don't have a Code anymore does that mean that they can't go forward with their plan?" Naruto asked, getting back on topic._

_"I do not know if there are more Codes out there and I do not know who the bearers are but they are not likely involved with the Order." C.C. answered._

_"Good to know but that means they'll be looking for them when they realize you don't have your Code anymore." Naruto pointed out._

_"It'll take time since we all have centuries of experience blending in." C.C. smirked. "Charles and V.V. will be distracted looking for another Code Bearer if they ever realize my Code was absorbed by the Rinnegan."_

Xxx

"Bismark keeps his left eye sewed shut at all times and the only time he ever used it was against your mother and he still lost. He was the Knight of Five when Marianne defeated him which earned her the rank of Knight of Two." C.C. continued.

"And this V.V. person?" Lelouch asked.

"He looks like a ten year old boy but he is actually fifty years old. That's because he has a Code like I did that allows him to grant people Geass." C.C. answered, scowling at the memory of that brat. "He and Charles captured me and handed me over to Clovis and Bartley to be experimented on when I refused to help them."

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"So you were captured by them and that's why Clovis thought you were in that tank. But why was there a duplicate of you in that tank when we first met?" Lelouch remembered how they met.

"Luckily I had help." C.C. glanced at Naruto with a smile. "We escaped and we've been planning to take down Britannia ever since."

"And those other powers you used? Is that the result of Geass?" Lelouch asked, wondering about all their other abilities. "Your eyes, they changed several times before. They showed the Geass symbol but at the same time the sclera and irises turned purple with six rings expanding from the pupil…like ripples in a pond. Is it an advanced form of Geass? It's what cured Nunnally's blindness isn't it?"

"Nope to the former but yes to the latter. That comes from me and an ancestor of mine." Naruto smirked as he and C.C. showed both their Rinnegan. "Originally C.C. tried to form a contract with me but what she didn't count on was that these eyes are just as powerful as Geass, actually they might be stronger. When she forged a contract with me to give me Geass that power merged with her Code and led to her gaining the same eyes as me through the Power of Absolute Harmony and Unity. So we both have Geass, the Power of the King, and the Rinnegan, the Eyes of God."

'Rinnegan.' Sayoko and Lelouch repeated in their heads.

The name literally meant Eye of Samsara as they both knew Japanese language.

"The best reason I can think of what happened is that because a person who carries a Geass Code is immortal with eternal youth and complete regeneration and someone who has the Rinnegan has power over life and death, both are similar powers when you think about it. Allowing a person to live for a very long time that can even grant powers to other people and they both reacted to each other when C.C. tried to give me a Geass because they were so similar." Naruto started.

"And when I did the Rinnegan's nature reacted to our connection and I guess the powers sort of merged together. The Code that kept me alive for centuries was absorbed by the Rinnegan but because of its nature I gained its power while retaining all the abilities that my Code granted me, except for the Absolute Immortality." C.C. smiled at the reminder that she was no longer helpless or alone. "I can still grant people a Geass but now I can also grant four more people the Rinnegan."

"Why is that?" Lelouch asked, fascinated by what he was hearing.

"The Rinnegan has a special power called the Six Paths that allow for different special abilities unique to each path along with the ability to manipulate the elements or as you saw from when we teleported, even manipulate space and time to cover long distances and even make copies of ourselves from you saw in Shinjuku. C.C. already gave one person the Rinnegan, thus giving them one special power while we both converted our Knightmares to use the same eyes as well." Naruto answered.

"Those eyes…" Lelouch thought it over. "Your Knightmares had the same eyes!"

"And one of the benefits we share vision with our Knightmares and anyone we grant the Rinnegan to. I also discovered it can cure people of injuries and illnesses, like your sister." C.C. explained with a smirk.

"Can this Rinnegan be granted to me?" Lelouch asked, his mind racing with ideas and possibilities.

Having eyes that can share vision would be a major benefit to him and his plans and the powers he had seen would allow him to stay one step ahead of his enemies.

"Sorry, but C.C. can only grant a Geass or the Rinnegan to anyone willing, not both. Any attempt to grant you the Rinnegan would kill you." Naruto shook his head.

Lelouch frowned but even if he couldn't have the same eyes they would still be valuable. "So then, why grant me a Geass?"

"One reason would be is that we both know we can't take on Britannia alone. Another reason would be even if I have a contract with Naruto I can still grant other people a Geass so as long as they grant me a wish." C.C. answered.

"And what is your wish?"

"I don't know. I'll decide when I know it." C.C. shrugged. "And I'm here to help because Naruto aims to destroy Britannia like you and I will not allow my contractors to die."

She and Naruto shared a small smile which Lelouch noticed and wondered what their contract was.

"If I may ask," Sayoko spoke up, earning everyone's attention. "Would it be possible for me to obtain a Geass or this Rinnegan?"

That question surprised all three of them as they stared at the maid in surprise.

"Sayoko?!" Lelouch choked out.

"It makes sense, My Lord. Your father and an unknown number of servants of his possess Geass that are no doubt as powerful as yours. You would need something to counter that and I believe I can help." Sayoko explained.

Lelouch admitted she had a point but it was actually not up to him. He looked at Naruto and C.C. who starred the maid in thought.

"C.C? Naruto?" Lelouch asked, wondering what their answer would be.

"You do realize that once you gain a Geass or the Rinnegan you cannot take your choice back. You have no way of knowing what your Geass would be and you would be sharing your vision with the rest of us." Naruto pointed out.

"I am willing to accept the risks."

"Why?" C.C. frowned. "Neither of them are free and it must be granted through a trade in services. What would you be willing to give up?"

"I think we already know." Naruto smiled, earning their attention. "You want to protect Lelouch and Nunnally and you're willing to risk anything to protect them."

This was something Naruto could respect as anyone will risk their lives to protect those closest to their hearts was the kind of person that the world always needed.

"Yes." Sayoko nodded.

C.C. did something that no one in the room, not even Naruto, expected her to do.

She laughed. "It's not every day I see someone with so much devotion! I wonder what Lulu here did to earn this much loyalty!"

Lelouch frowned at the nickname that Shirley and Euphimia liked to use but said nothing as C.C. calmed down.

"All right, I will grant you one of the two powers. And since you're not only a maid but a skilled ninja I believe the Rinnegan will be more suitable for you but be warned you will feel unimaginable pain." C.C. warned as she stood up and walked up to Sayoko.

"I am ready. What must I do?" Sayoko asked.

"Simply allow me to touch your eyes." C.C. held out her finger touched Sayoko's eyes.

Naruto quickly drew seals on the walls and the door as this happened.

"What are you doing?" Lelouch asked.

"Like C.C. said this will hurt and she will scream. These seals will keep the room soundproof so your sister or everyone else on campus won't hear." Naruto said as he stood behind Sayoko and grabbed her shoulders to hold her down.

The Geass symbol glowed around the pupils of C.C.'s Rinnegan and instantly Sayoko let out a scream that lasted for a moment before she managed to grit her teeth, trying to deal with the pain. It took over five minutes for it to end. On one hand Lelouch was fascinated by how someone is granted this power but on the other hand he didn't like have to listen to sound of the woman who taken care of him and Nunnally since they were kids in pain.

"It's done." C.C. lowered her fingers five minutes later.

"Sayoko?" Lelouch knelt down in front of her as Naruto released her, allowing her to fall down onto her knees.

Sayoko lifted her head up to face him and slowly opened her eyes. Lelouch's eyes widened when her eyes stared back at his.

He saw those eyes, the Rinnegan staring back at him.

"I'm okay, Master. I'm okay." Sayoko whispered with a small smile.

Xxx

"So you gave her the Rinnegan?" Rakshata said, smirking down at the image of C.C. and Naruto on her laptop. "That explains the new vision I got."

"_Well, we're letting you know ahead of time._" C.C. answered, not really caring. "_Naruto will be training Sayoko in how to use her chakra and new eyes since I went through the trouble of giving her the Rinnegan in the first place._"

"_Yeah, yeah._" Naruto rolled his eyes. "_Anyways, Rakshata-san, we're calling about the white nightmare we fought in Shinjuku._"

Rakshata grinned. "The one you beautifully defeated and showed that annoying Earl of Pudding who's the best in the world?"

"_Huh?_"

"There is only one man who can make something this advanced, Lloyd Asplund. An Earl of Britannia and head of the research division Camelot. He's the only one who could have designed a Knightmare this advanced." Rakshata explained. "Evidently he's managed to create a shield that absorbed excess energy and circles it through the entire Frame. The shield is made of microscopic particles moving at near light speed but the shields do not simply project themselves out, otherwise they wouldn't have the shield shape. The particles were projected in a very specific angle held by an electromagnetic field which pulls them back in. Essentially the particles are 'retrieved' and their momentum is recycled into energy that charges the entire frame, enabling all systems to operate at 100% efficiency."

"_Impressive for just using Core Luminous._" C.C commented while Naruto nodded, pretending to understand all the science talk going over his head.

"It's nothing against my children. That shield had a flaw and you proved it when you overloaded it in the fight." Rakshata smirked victoriously. "An attack with the right amount of energy and when too much is absorbed it overloads. Lloyd will have to do a lot better than that if he wants to put even a scratch on my children."

"_So it's just a massive overpowered toy._" C.C. smirked. "_Good to know._"

"So, what is the next plan? Or is the newly famous Zero making the plans?" Rakshata asked.

"_For now we're laying low and letting Zero's fame sit in. According to Lelouch the Pure Bloods are humiliated and the military is in chaos._"

"And a new Viceroy is on the way." Rakshata commented. "They won't let an Area flourish without someone to take control for very long."

"_Guess we'll have to wait and see who it is._" Naruto sighed. "_But we might end up contacting you for equipment and supplies since Zero will need all that to turn a bunch of ragtag terrorists into a battle hardened army._"

"Well then, I guess I better get to work." Rakshata grinned eagerly. "I have a few ideas on what could help out."

"_Good. Now I'm going to bed and Naruto is coming too. I have had a long day and he is going to help me unwind._" C.C. said as she cut the connection with Naruto chuckling.

Rakshata quickly deactivated her Rinnegan since she didn't need _those_ images in her head. She wouldn't be able to work and concentrate if she had.

'Still though, I wonder if any books Naruto makes will be inspired by him and C.C.' She couldn't help but wonder.

Xxx

Naruto awoke the second the sun shined down on him through his window and when he awoke the first thing he saw was green hair covering his face. The person yawned as she turned her head and looked up at him.

"Good morning." C.C. smiled as the sun lit up her beautiful face.

"Morning." Naruto smiled back as he leaned down and gave her quick kiss. "I take you've slept well."

C.C. smiled as she sat up, making no attempts to cover herself and allowed Naruto a perfect view. "I had some great dreams."

"I can imagine." Naruto commented as he sat up and C.C. wrapped her arms around him. "Looking for something."

"Yes." C.C. said as she pulled his lips to her and kept them together for five whole minutes.

They both had experience in holding their breath for a very long time. C.C. particularly enjoyed the contact, having been so disconnected from the world and humanity for so long. She had been so aloof and distant from the world that she had no longer believed she had the capacity to love anyone or anything. Sure she made acquaintances now and then, but she had long ago shut her heart off from truly caring.

At least until the blond man stealing her breath came into her life. Someone who gave her strength, gave her hope, gave her life back to her. Before she had nothing to live for, except to find someone to transfer her Code to so she could finally die. Her Code was gone; absorbed by a new power that allowed her body to be mortal despite the fact she would still live a long life.

But now she something to be happy about and hope for a future.

She remembered back to when she first gained her Geass and lost it, gaining the power of immortality. She wanted to die because she was alone, because she had no one or anything to live for. Now she had someone who could grant her wish.

Her wish to be loved.

'I wondered if my Code would allow me to have children but I never found any reason to try until now.' C.C. thought. 'Even if it's been eight centuries since my last period.'

"You're in a good mood today." Naruto said once they pulled away.

He never imagined he'd be in a relationship like this, despite his crush on Sakura or Hinata's crush on him. He pushed that all to the back of his mind during the battle with Obito and Madara and when he tried to stop Madara he resigned himself to the fact that he would die, not knowing he came into a completely new world. He was sad at first, who wouldn't be if they found out they would never see their friends and home again but perhaps the cycle of hate started with his ancestors would end now that he was in a different world with no chance of the battle continuing. And it was nice to have someone with him; it was a welcome feeling after all the battles and wars.

He stood up and walked over to get his school uniform.

"I am." C.C. said as she stood up, still nude as she walked over to the bathroom. "I happen to be in a very good mood today."

"Do you plan on moving? We wouldn't want to be late." Naruto asked.

"You mustn't rush a woman, Naruto. We have to prepare ourselves for the day, to make ourselves look beautiful for the commoners." C.C. answered as the shower came on.

"You talk like your royalty." Naruto smirked as he put his pants on.

"All women believe themselves to be royalty, even the modest ones." C.C. smirked. "And it helps that we can get men and even other woman to do anything we want. Like this. Shower. Now."

"I just got dressed." Naruto complained but smiled.

"Now."

Naruto rolled his eyes as he walked into the bathroom, closing the door. 'Ero-sennin would be dancing in his grave if he could see me now.'

Xxx

"Case Number 107: Private Suzaku Kururugi, Area Eleven Military Force. In the murder of his Highness Prince Clovis, you are no longer a suspect and are hereby set free due to lack of evidence." The judge banged his gavel.

The courtroom wasn't filled with much people to begin with and was completely emptied as soon as the judge dismissed his case. No defence lawyer, no prosecutor, just the judge waiting for him and dismissing his case before leaving quickly.

"Out of the way please!" A voice shouted.

Suzaku stopped and looked above, spotting a girl falling to the ground. 'What the-?!'

"Look out below!" The girl shouted as Suzaku dropped his bag and caught her with both arms.

She was very light as Suzaku realized as he managed to hold her up without any difficulty.

"Are you all right?" Suzaku asked as he set her down.

He took in her appearance, noticing her long pink hair and violet eyes that made him instinctively think 'beautiful' in his mind and at the same time wonder if he had seen her before.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't aware anyone was down here when I leapt." The girl said hurriedly.

"Well don't worry. I wasn't expecting a girl to come falling out of the sky and into my arms anyway." Suzaku shrugged off her apology.

The girl seemed to be staring at him for some reason. "Oh my."

Suzaku didn't realize that she instantly recognized him as the man who was accused of murdering Prince Clovis.

"Is something wrong?" Suzaku asked, wondering why she was staring.

The last thing he needed was to be accused of assaulting someone and end up arrested again.

"Oh. Yes there is something wrong. The truth is the bad guys are chasing me, so considering the circumstances could you help me? Please?" The girl asked.

Suzaku looked at her and then back up the window she had jumped out of. He knew something was off with her story but she was still Britannian while he was an honorary Britannian. Plus he couldn't say no to that pretty face of hers but he quickly squashed that thought as he nodded and led her away. He quickly put on sunglasses to hide his identity since many Britannians would still harbor feelings of suspicion and resentment for him.

"We haven't introduced ourselves, have we? My name is…." She turned away for a second before finishing. "Euphie."

"Euphie?" Suzaku asked.

"Yes, Euphie."

Suzaku decided to introduce himself. "My name is-"

"Don't tell me. Cause I already know it. You're a celebrity, Son of Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi, Private Suzaku Kururugi." The girl cut him off.

Suzaku quickly looked around before speaking. "You lied before. There's no one chasing you, right?"

When she didn't answer Suzaku turned back to see she was a few feet away now, talking to a pair of cats with of them having an injured paw.

"Meow, meow, meow. Aw, does the kitty's paw hurt? Oh!" Both cats hissed at her but Euphie still reached out to it. "Meow, meow, meow."

The instant she touched the cat's head it seemingly changed its mind and allowed her to pet it. The second cat stared before accepting the girl's other hand.

"Meow. Meow." Euphie smiled as she picked up the cats.

She held out the them for Suzaku to pet but the cat obviously didn't like him as the second he tried the first one bit down on his finger.

"Oh my!" Euphie gasped.

Suzaku tried to pull his finger back but the cat seemed to determined not to let go. It took a moment for Suzaku to pull his finger free. The second cat seemed to purr at seeing Suzaku flinch.

"Are you okay, Suzaku?" Euphie asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. See, no blood?" Suzaku held up his finger.

"We should bandage it just in case and fix this little guy's paw." The cats meowed and snuggled into Euphie arms with both of them purring. "Aw, so cute."

"How do you think that one cat got hurt anyways?" Suzaku said as they started walking again.

"Arthur says he had a bad landing, right Arthur?" Euphie asked.

The cat seemed to understand as it answered with a meow.

"Arthur?"

"Uh uh. That's his name." Euphie answered like it was obvious. "And the other cat's name is Merlin."

Suzaku smiled and had to keep himself from laughing. "Did he introduce himself?"

"No. But Arthur's his name, all the same." Euphie answered with a humorous smile.

They finally reached the store where Suzaku bandaged his finger while Euphie bandaged Arthur's paw who just sat and waited for her to finish.

"Do you have trouble with cats?" Euphie asked as she finished.

"I like them just fine." Suzaku tried to pet Arthur again but cat once again hissed at him. "The attraction isn't mutual however."

"I think unrequited love is the mark of a kind person."

The second Euphie was done both of the cats took off running down the street.

"Aw, the kitties ran away." Euphie said sadly.

In a nearby ally the cats stopped and the second one began to change with its black fur becoming blue with a flaming pattern and its eyes changed with one remaining yellow but the other turning green. As if that was not enough the cat's single tail split into two. The cat Euphie had named Arthur did not seem to care as he just sat and stared at the other cat's new appearance and meowed.

"I know, I know. A deal's a deal." The flaming cat said with a sigh. "I'll find you a place where you can get plenty of fish."

Arthur meowed happily.

'A new world with strange new things, including a cat that seems to know what I am. Kurama will be annoyed when I show him cats are smarter than foxes. The cat thought. 'But seriously, Merlin? Can't she tell what a cat's gender is?'

Xxx

Lelouch sat down on the bench and looked through the newspaper reports on Suzaku, looking to see if the official statement on him being innocent was released yet. He thought over what he had learned last night and realized that even with his Geass he was remarkably unprepared for his war against Britannia, especially since his father, the Knight of the One, and fifty others had Geass as well.

'If I am going to fight against Britannia I'll need an army with me. Naruto and C.C.'s powers will greatly help but I'll need more.'

Lelouch was shaken from his thoughts as a shadow fell over him and when he looked up he saw the blue eyes and red hair of only one person who had those traits.

"Lelouch, could you do me a favor?" Kallen asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Lelouch asked, putting the paper he was reading away.

"Yesterday I got a phone call from someone" Kallen explained.

"Call?" Lelouch asked, wondering if she was suspicious again.

Didn't he manage convince her he wasn't Zero?

"It was after Rivalz spilled champagne on me," Kallen said with a blush on her face. "I got a call when I was in the bathroom."

Lelouch managed to keep himself from smirking. "Yeah?"

"I want to contact that person again. Can you find out what the caller ID was?"

Lelouch suppressed the urge to sigh in relief. "Sorry but it was a school call. Our phones don't have caller ID and the principal is the only one who can access the call history. Not even Milly has access to those records."

Kallen didn't seem shocked or saddened. "I see. Thanks anyways."

"No problem." Lelouch looked behind her and noticed Naruto leaning against a tree as he and C.C. made out.

Kallen looked to where he was looking. "They sure like doing that, don't they?"

"Yes." Lelouch sighed.

C.C. pulled away from Naruto and smirked over at Lelouch. "Oh, hello Lelouch. Are you in the middle of asking Kallen out?"

Lelouch and Kallen's eyes widened as they sputtered. "Wh-what?!"

"I seem to recall how cute you said Kallen looked the other day." Naruto commented.

Kallen blushed as Lelouch's eyebrow twitched.

"In fact, Rivalz even went and suggested to the Student Council that you and Kallen got it on." C.C. continued, putting a finger to her chin.

"WHAT?!" Both of them shouted at once.

"Don't look at us. We're only saying what we heard." Naruto shrugged.

"I BARELY EVEN KNOW LELOUCH! WHY WOULD DO THAT TO SOMEONE I DON'T EVEN KNOW!" Kallen shouted, her sickly persona slipping for a second.

'Wow. She could be a long lost Uzumaki somehow lost through dimensions.' Naruto thought, seeing similarities between Kallen and the infamous Uzumaki temper that many of the women, including his own mother were famous for.

Lelouch had to step back, afraid Kallen would turn her wrath on him. "Uh, Naruto, Tsunade, you two asked me to show you some of the clubs, right?"

"Oh right. Thank you for remembering, Lelouch." C.C complimented sweetly, so sweet that Lelouch had to gag as he dragged them away.

Xxx

"Are you trying to draw attention to yourselves?" Lelouch asked when they made it to the roof. "The military is looking for both of you and you keep on drawing attention to yourselves."

"Relax. The military won't be looking for us in the middle of their 'Orange' problems and preparing for the new Viceroy." C.C. retorted as she walked over the railing. "Hm? What is she doing?"

Down below a girl was drawing on the nearby wall with a piece of chalk.

"She's doing it again?" Lelouch walked over the railing.

"Again?" C.C. asked.

"Did you use your Geass on her?" Naruto asked, frowning in distaste.

"She's going to be marking that wall everyday because I used my Geass to make her do it." Lelouch answered. "I need to know the specs of my weapon and if what you said before about my father and an unknown number of people under his command having Geass is true I need to understand this power. That still doesn't answer my question."

"Trust us; we both have experience moving without being seen. By the way, what made you come up with that Orange idea? The military's going nuts and the rebels reacting to it is not helping." Naruto commented, ignoring the distaste at Lelouch controlling a student.

"Both were part of my plan. As for Orange that was random. It's just something I made up. But the more they look and find nothing the darker their suspicions about what it might be will become." Lelouch answered before frowning. "You have one of those…Shadow Clones training Sayoko?"

"Yep. My Shadow Clone is working with Sayoko on how to use her Rinnegan and control her chakra. I also have one disguised as her so Nunnally won't know she's gone." Naruto nodded. "Turns out Sayoko inherited the power of the Animal Path."

"The path that summons animals." Lelouch said, remembering powers of the Six Paths that Naruto had told him about.

"Appropriate for her, huh? With the Animal Path she can see everything the animals see, making it easier to track her targets or keep a better eye on you and Nunnally." Naruto pointed out with a smirk.

Lelouch nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's a very valuable ability. It could be used to perform long range reconnaissance against multiple targets."

"Plus dealing with us as students is easier than us sitting in your room all day." C.C. remarked, leaning against the railing and looking out over the courtyard.

Lelouch had to admit C.C. had a point.

"Now then…" Naruto turned around as a cat with flaming blue fur and to Lelouch's surprise two tails landed on the railing behind him. "I see you made it, Matatabi."

Lelouch was further surprised until it spoke. "Thank you for waiting, Naruto-sama."

"What in the…" Lelouch stepped back as he looked at the cat.

"Matatabi was keeping tabs on your friend for us." Naruto explained.

"Really?" Lelouch asked, surprised and a little eager to know what happened to his friend.

"Yes. He was acquitted of all charges and released an hour ago." Matatabi nodded. "He's currently leading a girl to Shinjuku."

"At least he was acquitted." Lelouch sighed. "After all this time I never thought he'd retain his foolish naïve attitude but he is still as stubborn as ever."

"I noticed that and something else." Naruto replied. "When Suzaku left I felt feelings of shame and regret. He feels hollow, like he has done something horrible and believes he was never punished for it. It's almost like he's…resigned himself to suffer and die. Can you think of anything that might have happened to him to make him feel like that?"

Lelouch looked at Naruto as he thought it over. "Resigned himself to suffer and die? Hmm...I know that his father committed suicide when Britannia invaded and that threw the entire command structure into disarray. Perhaps that is the trauma."

"A parent committing suicide?" Naruto frowned. "That's not what I sensed. He thinks he's done something horrible, something that he believes cannot be redeemed."

"Perhaps there is more to him and what truly happened to his father than you think." C.C. suggested.

"You believe he killed his father? Ridiculous. Suzaku is too honorable to do such a thing." Lelouch refused to hear this.

"Fine. It doesn't matter at this point." Naruto gave up. "Actually we should start looking in who to recruit. We'll need not just more recruits but we'll also need equipment, medic officers on standby and a base. That group that helped rescue Kururugi is just one group."

"I plan to look into it." Lelouch replied. "In the meantime we'll have to keep a low profile for now. I'll let you know when I find something for a base."

"Good, then in the meantime we should start setting up a proper funding for the rebels." Naruto smiled.

"Hm?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "Funding?"

"While the military is in disarray we can use the time to steal some equipment and get our hands on a large amount of money that we'll need to finance this rebellion." Naruto explained.

"And what did you have in mind?" Lelouch asked, interested in what Naruto was thinking.

"Two words: Shadow Clones."

Xxx

"So this is your replacement? A couple of students?" A man in his late fifties laughed as Lelouch walked in, followed by Naruto and C.C.

"So, another nobleman? I hope this one actually presents a challenge." Lelouch said as he walked towards the chess table and looked at the nervous old man that was around the same age as his opponent who had been waiting for Lelouch. "You remember our deal?"

"Yes, I remember." The man nodded wearily.

"And you are?" The rude nobleman asked as Lelouch sat down on a fancy seat.

"Lelouch Lamperouge." Lelouch answered as he picked up a king piece.

"I don't know if you've noticed, boy but it's impossible for you to win." The man sneered at the foolish boy who chose to be his opponent's substitute. "Starting with the king is a foolish mistake."

"Hm, ten minutes. That's all it will take." Lelouch said as he made his first move.

Xxx

(**Seven minutes and fifty five seconds later**)

"That was hilarious!" Naruto laughed as the trio exited the building, laughing at the look on the man's face after Lelouch said checkmate.

"There isn't a noble in the entire settlement that can play a decent game of chess." Lelouch said as he pocketed all the money he had won into the bag.

"Nothing new as nobles are often born with more money than brains." C.C. commented with a smirk as she too enjoyed the look on both of their faces as Lelouch easily won.

"Seeing how much time has been spent playing these nobles and all the money won I must admit I'm envious of your Shadow Clone ability. With three clones you created disguised as us we don't have to worry about being missed or worry about Shirley calling me if she suspects I'm gambling again." Lelouch remarked. "But unfortunately I can only play a couple of these nobles a week or else they'll stop allowing me to play."

"Then we find another way." Naruto smirked deviously. "Know any good casinos?"

"As a matter of fact I do." Lelouch couldn't help but smirk along with C.C.

It turned out that Lelouch was talking about the largest casino in the settlement which was no surprise to his two companions as they knew Lelouch usually gambled a lot to come up with money for himself and Nunnally.

"All right, by splitting the money we each have over 15,000 pounds worth of chips so I suggest you both spend it wisely. If an attendant comes and asks you to leave you do it, do not argue with them." Lelouch said as he split the cast between the three of them in the lobby.

"Trust me, Lelouch, I've been to my share of casinos and even put a few out of business. I know how to play." Naruto replied.

"All right." Lelouch nodded. "Meet back here in four hours and exchange the chips you get for cash."

With that said the three split up, each choosing what games they would play. Naruto chose to play cards, already experienced with playing poker while Lelouch took the coin slot machines and C.C. chose to play a few dice games. A lot of gamblers went home crying that day over their lost money while three students walked out with victorious smiles on their faces.

Naruto had won over 4 900,000 pounds while Lelouch had won 4 500,000 pounds and C.C. won 3 107,000 pounds.

"I see what you mean in funding the rebels." Lelouch smirked in satisfaction. "I'll be keeping 500,000 for myself and Nunnally but once we set up a way to budget the money."

"Then you'll like the next part of our plan. I hear that a lot ruckus is going on with the Purists for the whole Orange thing. Seriously, Orange?" Naruto remarked.

"I made it up off the top of my head." Lelouch answered, not bothering to defend himself.

"What Naruto is trying to say is that we can use this as a chance to gather information and equipment." C.C. spoke up.

Lelouch was silent but he considered it for a second and nodded. "I agree. But how will we get past all the security? Do you have another special power that you have yet to show?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Naruto smirked dangerously.

Xxx

Jeremiah Gottwald knew he was in trouble and might end up in prison because of this whole 'Orange' investigation. Already he knew of rumors between nobility and soldiers that declared him a traitor for releasing Kururugi and letting Zero escape. And the worst part was that he couldn't remember _anything_ about Orange or helping Zero escape, the same man who murdered Prince Clovis. If he didn't do something soon he'd be disgraced and thrown in jail.

Then he got a call about Zero being spotted in the Shinjuku Ghetto and was now rushing down the street in his Sutherland. "You are certain the information is accurate? Zero has been spotted in Sector 4 of the Ghetto?"

"_Yes. Lord Kewel contacted me._"

"Very well, set up a cordon around Shinjuku Sector 4 immediately." Jeremiah replied with a determined frown.

Xxx

"Yes sir. Cordoning Sector 4." The officer leaned back with a grin. "Well Lord Kewl, the ball is in your court now."

His celebration was ended as he felt a sword touching the back of his head.

"I was hoping to speak to Lord Jeremiah but I can see you're busy." Villetta Nu stated coldly.

Xxx

The Viceroy's Palace was surprisingly spacious, even the Viceroy Clovis was dead and his replacement had yet to arrive. It served as the primary base of operations of Area Eleven's military operations and civilian life style. Due to the death of Clovis and the humiliation of the Purists, the Palace was on complete lock down with no appointments scheduled until after the new Viceroy arrives and cleans up the mess that had been created.

"This is crazy." Lelouch whispered as the three walked past the multiple guards and nobles as they explored the palace.

"We'll only get caught if you're too loud." Naruto whispered back.

The reason why they have been caught is because Naruto and C.C. had used a **Camouflage Jutsu** to hide themselves and Lelouch who had to touch Naruto's shoulder to remain hidden. They walked through Central Control Office, making sure to not bump into the numerous guards and nobles that occupied the place.

"There are too many. We can't get anything with all of these people here." Lelouch grunted.

Naruto spotted an office with the name Jeremiah labelled on it and directed C.C. and Lelouch to it, making sure no one was watching as the three slipped into his office and quickly closed the door while remaining quiet.

"Suckers." Naruto chuckled sinisterly.

Lelouch spotted the computer on Jeremiah's desk and turned it on. "I think I can hack this. Keep an eye on the door. He left the computer and didn't bother to turn it off. He must have been really anxious to get down to Shinjuku." He took out a USB and connected it to the computer. "Since Orange boy didn't turn off his computer or close off his files nothing on this computer is encrypted. I can download all available information on Britannia's military bases, equipment, and personnel including communication and security codes."

"Thus making it easier for us to take down Britannia here and liberate Japan." C.C. surmised as Lelouch downloaded the information. "You can even use the information here to gather allies from the E.U. or the Chinese Federation."

"One step at a time." Lelouch said as he disconnected the USB from the computer. "Time to go."

"Then I should I leave a few gifts for the military." Naruto grinned as he made a hand sign and in a puff of smoke what looked like a butterfly appeared in his hands. "A friend to keep an eye on things for us."

Lelouch nodded as he and C.C. put their hands on Naruto's outstretched hand. When they did that they all vanished in a flash of yellow light.

Xxx

Suzaku could only look on grimly at the wasteland Shinjuku had been reduced to. He didn't know why Euphie wanted to come here but despite his warnings she insisted on coming here.

"The Shinjuku Ghetto, ruined again. The residences were just starting to return." Suzaku said.

All those people, all those men, woman, and children, dead because a few refused to let the system work and try to change things for the better.

"Man, they didn't use RG on the Elevens. I figured they wouldn't."

"Hey, those are marks from hummer rounds! Get a clear shot of it."

Despite Suzaku not approving of Elevens fighting Britannia, didn't he like to see his peoples' suffering as the amusement for a bunch of stuck-up Britannians either. However, he knew that he was an Honorary Britannian and that he could do nothing to stop them. It all just made his resolve stronger. Beside him, Euphie was having similar thoughts. Unfortunately, not everyone shared their thoughts.

A trio of Elevens decided that they had to punish the students for their tourism into the ghettos. One of them, a loud-mouthed man with reddish-brown hair ran right up to them and knocked a camera out of one of the student's hands

"Get outta here you Britannian bastards!"

The students seemed too scared to do anything and Suzaku knew how this would end. Not willing to let more unnecessary blood be shed, Suzaku dropped his bags and spoke clearly to Euphie.

"Stay here!" He then ran up to where the fighting was about to begin.

"How dare a lowly Eleven speak to us like…"

"Don't call me an Eleven!" the loud-mouth shouted. "I'm Japanese!"

"Wrong," The other student sneered. "You seem to forget you people lost. You're nothing but a beaten dog."

"You racist pig!" the man shouted back, ignoring his own hypocrisy.

"Stop, please, no violence!" Suzaku ran up the hill and tried to grab the shouting man.

"Stay outta this!" he shouted back, taking a swipe.

He only succeeded in knocking Suzaku's sunglasses off, exposing his face. "You…are you, Suzaku Kururugi?"

"The guy who killed Clovis?"

"No you idiot, Zero's the one who killed him."

Suzaku looked away, sad that even his own people didn't trust him.

But the man that had been shouting wasn't finished. "Tsk, this guy's nothing more than a slave. Big deal, you're an Honorary Britannian. Nobody cares. You sold your pride, your people, your soul, and yet you call yourself Japanese!"

"No, you're wrong…"

"I am NOT wrong you stinking Britannian lap dog!"

The man moved to punch Suzaku but he was ready. Using the training given to him by Tohdoh-sensei and the Britannian military, Suzaku planted his feet, grabbed the man's outstretched wrist, and gripped the collar of his shirt. Using the man's own forward momentum, Suzaku flipped him over and onto his back in half a second, shocking the other Elevens and the Britannians. However, that single move wasn't enough for the man as he quickly stood up and got ready to fight again.

"Stop please. I warn you, I've been trained in military combat, don't make me fight my own people."

"Like Hell we're you're people!"

"Come on Tamaki," one of the other Elevens said, "just let it go."

He and the third Eleven began walking away. The loud-mouth grunted, but without the backup of his buddies, reluctantly left, but not before muttering 'lousy traitor' just loud enough for Suzaku to hear.

"Suzaku?" Euphie asked, appearing with his bag. "Are you O.K.?"

"Yeah."

"Well I'm not O.K." the student with the camera whined. "Just look at my Prime G, and my LX4."

"Why did you wait?" his friend shouted. "Damn it, some Honorary citizen you are."

"Why'd you let 'em go, you should've killed them. What's a few dead Elevens to a guy like you? Who do you thinks' taken care of you all these years anyway?"

Euphie, having enough, marched right up to the student and did something that surprised Suzaku and both the students, she slapped him. Stunned, the student dropped his camera, breaking it further.

"I will not allow you to insult this man any further you oaf!" Euphie shouted back, sounding completely different which surprised everyone.

Xxx

Class along the whole day flew by very quickly for some reason but no one was complaining as Lelouch sat at his desk, looking at his laptop while C.C. sat on his bed, snacking on pizza while Naruto sat cross legged on the floor with a bowl of hot ramen. Scattered before them were magazines and newspapers featuring Zero.

Lelouch sat down at his desk, looking at his laptop. "To use my Geass, I need to have eye contact with the subject. Transparent objects, like eyeglasses present no problem. The effective range is 270 meters and as you already know the subject has no memory of events before, during, or after the power is used. I think this is due to damage caused by the Geass interfering with the brain of the subject. Also if the signal is optical I can reflect it."

"Just a few days and you've figured out a lot." Naruto commented, seeing Lelouch's intellect was similar to Nara Shikamaru.

"In light of what you have told me, I have to gain every advantage I need. If my own Geass has a weakness than logically so does my father. And then there is the fact that my enemy is an empire controlling a third of the planet." Lelouch walked over to the window. "There's no such thing as being too careful. What about you two? Don't you know anything about your Rinnegan?"

That was an interesting question.

Naruto and C.C. had worked hard to familiarize themselves with their Rinnegan, intent on discovering every power that their eyes now possessed. They discovered they could use the Six Paths technique, use any elemental ninjutsu and sub-element like the Rinnegan was rumored to use but they both knew the fusion of C.C.'s Code and Naruto's heritage had possibly had a few differences. Naruto's Unity Geass allowed anyone affected to be linked to Naruto's conscious and feel his emotions. C.C. shared this power through their link and they found they still had much to learn about their new powers.

Naruto now understood why the original Sage of the Six Paths was hailed as a god considering how powerful his eyes were in the hands of Nagato, Obito, and Madara.

"Charles has perfect control over his Geass and I have yet to figure out if it has a weakness aside from having a Code or the Rinnegan to block it." C.C. pointed out, changing the subject. "He is not just the Emperor of Britannia he _is_ Britannia, the power that controls a third of the world."

Lelouch looked out the window, seeing Nunnally with Sayoko, or rather the Shadow Clone disguised as her. "Is it good to be strong?"

Xxx

"Is it bad to be weak?" Suzaku looked down at the rubble that littered the place around him. "Back when I was ten, the world seemed to be such a terribly sad place, without any hope at all."

Xxx

"Starvation."

"Disease."

"Filth."

"Decay."

"Racism."

"Constant war and terrorism."

"Life in a never ending cycle of hate."

"Rats running in a wheel."

"The cycle must be broken. Somebody has to do it." Lelouch and Suzaku said at the same time.

Xxx

"How idealistic." C.C. glanced at Naruto who seemed to be staring more intently at Lelouch.

"I'm not that arrogant. And so-" Lelouch replied.

Xxx

"No one should lose more of the people they love. At least, a world without war." Suzaku continued.

Xxx

"How would you do it?" Euphie/C.C. asked.

Xxx

"It's simple." Lelouch knocked down the king piece on his chess board. "When someone wins, the fighting will end."

"Someone?" C.C asked.

Naruto scoffed. "Are you so sure of that?"

Lelouch looked over at Naruto who had been silent. "And how do you think it will end?"

"Britannia conquered Japan eight years ago and the Japanese continue to fight, hating Britannia for the invasion, their defeat, humiliation, starvation, and suffering with every fiber of their being. Even if you manage to liberate Japan or strike down the Emperor you will be the focus of Britannia's rage for defeating them, shattering their image of superiority. The cycle of hatred does not end when one side wins a war, it is simply passed down the next generation who then rise up to conquer their enemies for revenge, their own belief in superiority, resources, and any other kind of reason they can think of." Naruto explained. "If you wish to end the hate you must do more than defeat your enemy. You must find a way to change them, to understand them."

"Change them? Understand them?" Lelouch asked, not understanding entirely what Naruto was saying. "How is understanding my enemy going to change them?"

"What greater weapon is there than to turn an enemy to your cause? To use their own knowledge against them?" C.C. rhetorically asked.

"Everyone has their own reasons to fight and it is those reasons that will drive them to do the worst things imaginable in name of either revenge, loyalty, love of fighting, and even peace. Understand these people and what motivates them and you'll have more allies than just Japanese terrorists." Naruto stated.

"And how would I do that?" Lelouch asked.

"That's not a question that you can just ask and expect an answer. Become a leader by understanding your subordinates first, and then look to others who fight for whatever reason they have before deciding if they are an enemy…or someone who you might end up relying on in the future." Naruto went back to eating his ramen, leaving Lelouch to contemplate his words.

Lelouch turned back to the laptop and brought up the comm channel for Villetta's Sutherland as he wondered what was going on in the Shinjuku Ghetto.

Xxx

"I don't know how you'd do it, but if I stopped trying, then my father's death will be in vain." Suzaku looked down at the clock that had belonged to his father.

"The Prime Minister's death?" Euphie asked.

"My father died because the war demanded his sacrifice!" Suzaku gripped the watch tightly in his grip.

"Suzaku, you and I bear a similar pain. You lost your father just I have lost my brother-"

An explosion rang the ghetto, earning everyone's attention.

"What in the world?" Euphie asked before Suzaku grabbed her hand and started pulling her away to get her out of the ghetto.

They both didn't get far before a large truck pulled up in front of them and a familiar woman revealed herself when she opened the door. "Suzaku! It's dangerous out here! Get inside now!"

"What's going on?" Suzaku asked.

"The Purebloods are having another silly little squabble so we better get out of here." Lloyd revealed himself in the passenger seat with his usual smirk when he saw Suzaku. "Oh and by the way, what a shame about your acquittal. Seems you'll be working for me again."

"Wait a second! Is the Lancelot repaired?" Suzaku asked.

"Well, yes." Cecile answered, confused.

Lloyd grinned. "And what are you planning, dear Suzaku?"

"This would be a good chance to gather data and test out the Lancelot to make sure it's fully functional." Suzaku explained.

Lloyd didn't answer but his grin widened with childish glee in his eyes.

"Suzaku." Euphie started.

"Sorry, Euphie but we have to say goodbye." Suzaku said to her before turning back to Lloyd. "I think the Lancelot can stop them…I need to do this…I must!"

Lloyd giggled excitingly as he flipped a switch on the dashboard and the back of the truck opened up to reveal the Lancelot which Suzaku ran up to and jumped into the cockpit.

'So that's the Lancelot.' Euphie thought. 'It really does look like a knight.'

Xxx

Jeremiah Gottwald growled within the cockpit of his Knightmare. He had come looking for Zero and he ended up ambushed by his own comrades. Now one of the attacking Knightmares was down and a second was heavily damaged, but the other two were still fully working while his had sustained heavy damage.

"This is Gottwald! All of you stand down!" Jeremiah shouted. "Whoever is behind this insubordination I demand you show yourself!"

"_Who else but a true Britannian of course_?" A familiar voice asked. "_Jeremiah, you're going to pay for letting Prince Clovis's murderer go free!_"

"Kewell you bastard!" Jeremiah called out. "There was no sighting of Zero here. You just fed me that story to lure me out!"

"_Your cowardice will not stand_." Kewell answered. "_We shall wipe this stain before Princess Cornella takes up her post here. We will be pure once more!_"

"I am no coward! You surround me and use tricks and lies and you call this honest combat!?" Jeremiah demanded furiously.

"_More lies. All hail Britannia_!"

With those last words, Kewell and his remaining two men rushed forward in a Y-formation, their lances ready to skewer him. Jeremiah was a man who could brush off comments and insults, especially since he had to deal with rumors of him as a traitor and his new 'Orange' title. But he would not stand by and let these fools kill him. Timing his moves carefully, Jeremiah reminded Kewell just why he was an elite pilot.

With some quick manoeuvring, Jeremiah avoided two of the lances and struck the already damaged Knightmare with his left Stun Tonfa. The hit further damaged the Knightmare enough that the pilot was forced to eject, but it cost Jeremiah. The third lance struck his right arm and he had to detach it or risk exploding along with it. This left him completely defenceless.

"_Don't worry Jeremiah, you're family's name won't be disgraced by this. We'll just tell the Princess that you were lost in battle. Now die_."Before Kewell's lance could pierce his Knightmare, a Slash Harken suddenly appeared and cut him off.

The three pilots turned to see the white Knightmare Lancelot retract the Harken. 'At last, I thought he'd never get here. Thankfully Lloyd managed to repair it but he won't be happy I took it out without telling him.'

"_Stop please, you're all Britannian soldiers! There's no need for this senseless fighting_!"

"_The Special Corp should stay out of this_!" Kewell shouted back at Kururugi. "_Interlopers will die along with Orange!_"

"_No! I won't allow this_!" The Lancelot drew its Maser Vibration Swords in a show of force, but Kewell would not back down.

He fired his own Slash Harkens at the Knightmare but they were quickly beaten down by the advanced swords. He then tried to use his lance but that too was cut by the swords, leaving Kewell without a weapon.

'Private Kururugi?' Jeremiah thought, shocked that the same Eleven he accused of killing Clovis had just saved his life.

The last Knightmare rushed into, lance ready. Jeremiah saw that Kururugi couldn't protect him and he knew that he couldn't avoid this attack. He was going to die right here. 'My Lady, please forgive me for failing to protect you and your children!'

However, before the lance struck, another Pureblood Knightmare appeared and crashed into the attacking one. The pilot was forced to eject and the new Knightmare took up a defensive position in front of Jeremiah.

"Villetta!"

"_Lord Jeremiah._" Villetta spoke through the speakers.

"Villetta, you have my thanks."

Villetta nodded and looked over at the Lancelot. "_Isn't that_-"

"I'm aware of who's piloting it, Villetta." Jeremiah said, smirking at the irony of being saved by someone he tried to have killed.

Kewell knew he was beaten. His entire squad been taken out, and Jeremiah was now backed up by not only Villetta Nu, but the advance weapon Lancelot. There was no way he could take them all on, especially since he had only one weapon left, but he had to try.

"_Jeremiah, this isn't the end_." A hatch opened on the side of Kewell's Knightmare and a cylinder popped out. "_I'm using a Chaos Mine_!"

The three other pilots were shocked that the rebellious lord was still fighting and that he would use such a weapon.

"No! Stop now!"

"What?" Suzaku recognized that voice, it was Euphie's.

Turning, he saw the pinkette running out into the arena where the battle was taking place, right in the danger zone of the mine.

"Princess Euphemia!"Jeremiah recognized his prince's sister right away. 'What is she doing here?!'

"_Now die, Orange scum!_"

As quickly as he could, he rushed his Knightmare to protect the princess, but he knew that he wouldn't make it in time; his Knightmare was too badly damaged. Suzaku didn't even think. He crossed the Lancelot's arms and quickly activated the Blaze Luminous shielding, not even knowing if it would protect them from the shrapnel or not. The shield easily deflected the fire away, but Suzaku had to struggle to keep the shields in place as the force the mine was giving off threatened to knock them away.

A quick look at his energy readings showed that the Blaze Luminous was eating through his available power. If the attack kept up, he wouldn't be able to keep the shields on for more than a few seconds. If that happened, they would all die. While Kururugi was blocking the shrapnel, Jeremiah reached the princess and grabbed her with his only working arm and turned his Knightmare to better protect her until the mine finished.

"_Lord Jeremiah_!"

"I'm alright Villetta." Checking behind him, Jeremiah saw that the mine was spent and that the Lancelot's shields were down. Looking back at the princess, he saw that she was unharmed and smiling up at him.

"Please, Sir Knight, put me down. The rest of you, lower your weapons!" As soon as she was down on the ground, she walked straight to the center of the arena so that they all could see her. "I am Euphemia li Britannia of the Empire and the Third Princess of the Royal Family! I am taking charge here, so all forces fall back!"

"Euphie?" Suzaku was shocked.

Euphie was a princess of Britannia? She was Lelouch's sister!? He had spent the whole day with a princess of the Empire and didn't even know it!

Xxx

"Euphy?" Lelouch muttered in shock and wonder as he heard the voice of one of his favourite and closest half sibling. "So you are here. Then that must mean that the new Viceroy is…"

Xxx

"I heard what you did today, Euphemia. You shouldn't be so reckless."

Euphemia watched as her older sister stopped before her and the line of assembled men waiting to greet her. "I know, sister. Forgive me but-"

"You will address me as Viceroy, Sub-Viceroy Euphemia." The woman interrupted. "Because we're sisters we need to follow a strict protocol."

"Yes, I understand." Euphemia nodded.

"Now then," The woman looked over to the man standing next to her. "Vice-Minister, give me your report."

"Yes, My Lady." The man saluted. "The first order of business is a welcome feast in your honour, followed by a formal addressing-"

That was all he got before he found himself with a gun pointed at his head by the woman. Euphie gasped when she saw the gun.

"Sloppy. Senile. Corrupt." The woman said quietly but everyone could hear the anger and disgust in her voice. "Where is Zero?! I want the enemy of the Empire caught! Get Zero!"

Viceroy Cornelia li Britannia had arrived and she was out for blood.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

The orange tinted sky was a beautiful sight before him as he took the chance to study this world. He heard footsteps behind him but didn't turn around as he already knew who it was.

"You called for me, Charles?" A childish young male voice asked.

"I was just in contact with Clovis and he's told me some interesting news. We have a new piece on the board."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"Lelouch." A female voice, just as young as the first voice answered.

"He killed Clovis?" The boy asked, slightly surprised but remained calm. "So he's managed to survive after all."

"He did and he was given a Geass by C.C." Charles answered, smirking. "She managed to escape Clovis and Bartley."

"So she's probably hiding out with him. It makes sense since C.C. has shown an interest in Lelouch since the day he was born. What does not make sense is the fact that I have been unable to contact C.C. for months, long before she met Lelouch." The girl frowned. "It's as if she was able to sever our connection."

"So, you believe that she might have decided to abandon our contract. Then we can no longer confirm if she's in Area 11 or not." Charles frowned.

"Yes." The girl nodded, sharing Charles's unease.

Aside from his lover's ability to speak to C.C. through their link Charles should have been able to sense C.C.'s Code through the all knowing presence of C's World. However a few months ago something happened. He could almost literally hear C's World screaming as C.C.'s Code vanished but a part of somehow remained as C.C. couldn't have given Lelouch a Geass without her Code. That wasn't the strangest part though.

As if that wasn't bad enough he later learned from V.V. that the Sword of Akasha had been severally damaged by a pulse of energy around the same time he felt C.C.'s Code vanish. His brother had been working day and night to understand what happened they both knew that the boy that had been with C.C. was responsible. Then there was a similar energy pulse that while was non-threatening to the Sword of Akasha and the repair team it was a becoming a concern to their plans. And he remembered seeing those eyes…

As he watched C's World the golden light showed him a pair of eyes, eyes with multiple rings surrounding the tiny black pupil with a purple sclera, and the Geass symbol flashing violet instead of the signature that all Geass users show when they activate their Geass under the pupil that made those eyes all the more fierce with their piercing stare.

'What sort of power can destroy an immortal's Code but allow them to continue granting Geass to anyone? If C.C.'s Code is gone our plan will be in ruins unless we can find another Code bearer but even if I can learn if there is another out there it will take a long time to find them.' Charles thought.

He had no idea how many Codes existed in the world thanks to direct contact with C's World but he always believed there more than two. The first beings to make contact with C's World gained the first Geass which later evolved into the Code, granting immortality and the power to grant Geass onto others. Various leaders well known throughout history relied on the power of Geass to become kings, queens, and famous leaders that were renowned throughout history. The Code would transfer from host to host once a Geass was fully evolved, allowing the user to take the Code from the one who granted them the Power of the King.

A Code Bearer was considered to be immortal and the Power of the Code was considered to be indestructible. After all the Code was what connected mortals to the Collective Unconscious Mind of Humanity itself, allowing its hosts to become immortal and grant Geass, the Power of Absolute Immortality itself. So what is strong enough that it could destroy a power thought to be indestructible? Charles shook his head when he saw the boy was about to speak.

"Perhaps it's the work of the boy Bartley captured in India." The girl suggested. "We never did discover who he was or where he came from."

"That strange boy escaped after slaughtering the staff there showed some strange power. Perhaps she gave him a Geass but didn't have time to rescue C.C." The boy commented. "If she made a contract with him perhaps she decided that we should not know about him, given his strange abilities. It's possible her attempt to give him a Geass has unseen affects."

"C.C. was stolen by Eleven Terrorists who thought they were stealing poisonous gas. I do not know how Lelouch got involved but she must have forged a contract with him and he was the one who defeated Clovis's force in Shinjuku. Those two strange Knightmares that defeated Schnizel's toy being there were likely sneaked into Area 11 by Kyoto but they will be useful to Lelouch." Charles spoke, memorizing everything he had learned from Clovis perfectly. "Lelouch used his Geass on Clovis to learn about what happened that night eight years ago."

"He can read minds?" The boy asked.

"No. He has the power to command anyone to do what he wants from what I saw inside Clovis's mind." Charles smirked.

"The power to control people's wills." The girl smirked. "As expected of my son."

"And now he'll use it to take revenge on you since he blames you for that night." The boy continued, ignoring the girl twitching an eyebrow.

"He will. He won't stop until he has answers, revenge, and ensured Nunnally is safe." The girl replied, looking to Charles. "C.C. obviously has no intention of telling him the truth which will serve to our advantage."

"Especially as Lelouch will try to gather support for himself as Zero." Charles smirked. "He already put his Geass to good use when he rescued the Honorary Eleven and humiliated Jeremiah Gottwald."

"Poor Jeremy. He was so nice to my children when they were growing up. My boy can be so cruel sometimes." The girl sighed.

"And there are the two advanced Knightmares. There is no doubt that one of them is C.C." Charles continued. "They defeated Schnizel's pet project quite easily. It's obvious that they have found someone with the resources and skills to build Knightmares this advanced."

"So who did you send as the new viceroy, Charles?" The boy smirked. "Not Schniezel, he'd figure out Zero is Lelouch and realize Nunnally wouldn't be too far, thus forcing C.C. to flee and hide herself when he comes after them. Not Carine, she's too violent loving and would send Area 11 right into Lelouch's hand. Guinevere? Odysseus?"

"Cornelia and Euphemia." Charles answered.

"Lelouch's favorite sisters next to Nunnally." The girl smiled. "A brilliant idea Charles. Lelouch's intellect will be defeated by his own arrogance and Cornelia's experience and tactics. And he would never raise his hand against sweet little Euphie."

"In addition we shall learn more about those Knightmares and the pilots my son has gained as allies as Lelouch fights against Cornelia and her knights." Charles grinned. "Not to mention Cornelia's own feelings towards the particular Area."

"Lelouch will act quick to stop her as she resorts to luring Zero out of hiding." The girl commented. "Well, let us see if our son can handle fighting his dear sisters."

"Yes. Let's see what he will and we will send someone else to gain intelligence on C.C.'s new contractor." Charles looked at the boy. "Vincent, I have need of one of your underlings."

Xxx

When Lelouch sat down in class he didn't expect a lot to happen. He would sit down, listen to the lecture, do some activities (non-physical) and then turn in because he had some more research to do. When the teacher said they would be getting a new student he didn't think much of it. When he looked up, if only to see who the new student was, his eyes widened in disbelief and wondered if he was dreaming.

There was no way the boy standing in front of the class wearing uniform of Ashford Academy was his old and best friend Suzaku Kururugi.

He was shocked when he found Suzaku was still alive, almost speechless when he found out Suzaku was an Honorary Britannian and now he was absolutely floored to see Suzaku was now attending the same school as him.

"That's the Eleven that killed Prince Clovis."

"No. That was Zero."

"Why is an Eleven here?"

Lelouch had to listen to this for an entire day before class was finally over and Lelouch wanted some answers. When he was sure Suzaku was watching him Lelouch adjusted the collar of his shirt and then walked off.

'Hopefully he remembers the old codes.'

He wasn't disappointed as minutes later he was meeting Suzaku on the roof.

"Seven years since we used that signal." Lelouch said as he turned around and saw Suzaku behind him. "Long time huh?"

"Meeting on the roof. Just like the old days. I'm glad to see you okay." Suzaku leaned against the railing. "I've been worried."

"Alive and kicking, thanks to you." Lelouch smiled. "You haven't changed much. Worrying about me when you're the one who took a bullet. Worry about yourself for a change."

"Just repaying the favor you did for me seven years ago. What about the girl from the capsule? What happened to her?"

"I don't really know. We got separated pretty quickly." Lelouch chuckled, hoping that Suzaku wouldn't see C.C. before he could come up with some sort of plan. "But you would know more about then me, right?"

"No. The only ones who knew anything were the Royal Guard." Suzaku answered.

Lelouch didn't say anything but was relieved. 'So, no chance of anyone outside of me anyone else to learn about C.C.'s capable of.'

"What about you? Do I call you Lelouch or do you go by a different name nowadays?" Suzaku changed the subject.

"Officially Lelouch vi Britannia and his sister died during the invasion. I go by the name, Lelouch Lamperouge now." Lelouch answered. "And you, what happened at your court martial and why did you enroll in this school?"

"I'm just as surprised as you are. What are the odds we'd be attending the same school? Truth is someone arranged for me to receive a proper investigation and decided I needed a proper education and that person said that a seventeen year old should be in school."

Xxx

Princess Euphemia looked at each and every painting on the wall, taking in their flawless work and stopping on a painting of three very familiar people now gone from her life. 'Lady Marianne…Nunnally…Lelouch.'

"Were all of these painted by Clovis?" She asked her aid.

"Yes."

She reached out and touched one of the paintings. "Such gentle colors. Very much akin to my brother."

Xxx

Britannian Panther tanks rolled up to the base of the mountain on all sides, cutting off any form of escape as they traded fire with the turrets of the mountain fortress's defense.

"Sir, we've managed to pinpoint the Gorillas' base."

"Excellent. Transmit that information to Viceroy Cornelia." General Andrea Darlton commanded.

Cornelia moved up the other side of the mountain by taking a wide path and went up the north slope. Her Gloucester sped down the mountain, lashing out with her assault rifle against the inexperienced Japanese resistant fighters as they tried to shoot her.

"Relics of a forgotten age." Cornelia scoffed.

She easily destroyed three turrets without suffering a single scratch before landing her Gloucester on an abandoned railway track.

"This will take me to their main base, correct?"

"_Yes, Your Highness. Shall we accompany you?_" Darlton asked.

"No need Darlton, not for this pathetic resistance."

"_Understood your Highness._"

She followed the tracks into a large circular room that served as the center of the base. "If you Elevens got on your knees and beg for mercy I might let you live."

Her offer was answered with a thousand cries. "DOWN WITH BRITANNIA!"

"Fine then. Die you worms." Cornelia raised her rifle and pulled the trigger.

As this happened a butterfly landed on the Gloucester's shoulder. This might not be considered weird, if anyone overlooked the six green insect wings looking like tails and the seventh one at the end.

Xxx

"_Your Zero has gone and stirred up the hornet's nest_." Rakshata smirked as she held her pipe. "_Cornelia li Britannia has been attacking all known locations harboring resistance groups ever since she arrived in Area 11._"

"She's looking for Zero." Naruto leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "It's obvious she believes Zero is colluding with resistance groups to try and build an army."

"_Good luck trying to build an army after Cornelia's done. Our sources say she's already begun her attack on three known resistant groups._" Rakshata remarked.

"All smokescreens to lure out Zero." C.C. commented. "She's not like Clovis. She actually knows how to fight a war."

"Meaning Lelouch will soon rise to the challenge." Naruto looked out the window and saw Lelouch approaching with someone else. "Oh boy. What is that idiot up to now?"

"Hm?" C.C. walked over the window. "So, he's playing host tonight."

"For such a cold bastard at times he lets his personal feelings get to him." Naruto smirked. "Well, this will be fun."

Lelouch walked into the room a moment later.

"Listen, Suzaku cannot know about you two. If sees you together he'll be suspicious." Lelouch said, getting to the point.

"Inviting everyone to dinner but us, Lelouch? How cruel of you." C.C. commented with a grin. "You're not going to introduce us?"

"You can either stay in room or go out for the night." Lelouch replied as he started to close the door.

"Don't worry. We already have it covered." Naruto assured him, though Lelouch couldn't help but wonder what they were up to this time.

Xxx

"Hi, Lelouch. I've returned home." Nunnally called out as Sayoko wheeled her into the dining room.

"Hi there." Lelouch put the book he was reading down as he stood up. "Welcome back, Miss Sayoko. I've got a special present for you today."

"Really? What can it be?" Nunnally asked eagerly.

Gifts from her brother were always the best.

Lelouch smiled as he put a finger on his lips, looking at Sayoko who looked confused. He looked over and gestured someone to come out. Sayoko followed his gaze and watched as Suzaku quietly came out and walked up to Nunnally. The girl looked up at Suzaku with confusion on her face while Suzaku glanced at Lelouch who nodded and knelt down, grasping Nunnally's hand.

Nunnally gasped for a second before reaching out and feeling the hand holding hers as tears came out of her eyes. "This hand…Thank Heavens! I knew it! I knew you'd be all right!"

"It's been a long time, Nunnally." Suzaku whispered, happy to see her again. "You can see."

"I know. I'm so happy." Nunnally cried as both boy smiled with her.

Xxx

"So tell me, you will stay the night will you?" Nunnally asked as they finished dinner.

"Suzaku's enrolled at Ashford Academy now. So you can see him anytime you want to." Lelouch answered.

"Is that true?" Nunnally asked happily.

"Well I still have military duties so I can't be here every day." Suzaku answered.

"Oh dear. You're still in the military?" Nunnally happy smile quickly turned sad.

"Don't worry. I've been reassigned to Engineering Corps. It's a lot less dangerous." Suzaku quickly reassured her.

"Cool. Engineering huh?" Lelouch said as he started cleaning up the table.

"Oh. Let me help you." Suzaku stood up.

"You just sit down. Unlike seven years ago we get to be your hosts now." Lelouch said with a smile at the look on Suzaku's face. "It's funny. You're a lot more mellow than you used to be."

"And you're a bit more rough." Suzaku sat back down.

Lelouch chuckled as he walked into the kitchen. Of course as soon as he got there he realized the good times might come to an end.

"I told you both to stay in my room or go somewhere else." Lelouch stated, annoyed that they didn't do as he asked.

"I told you, we got it covered." Naruto shrugged as he took the tea pot to pour into his own cup. "Plus we were curious. After all you risked a lot to save him."

"Don't worry about it." Lelouch looked away. "He's a friend…from the past."

"So how is Mister White Knight?" C.C. asked.

"Why do you call him that?" Lelouch asked as Naruto poured a drink for C.C.

"Because that's what he is. He is determined to do what he believes is the right thing, even if he hurts himself in the process. He refuses to dirty his hands even if it means to help his cause." C.C. explained.

"And how do you know this? Is this another power your Rinnegan is capable of? And why didn't he recognize you yet? He must have seen you by now." Lelouch questioned.

"He saw me but as you can see my Rinnegan was able to fool him into believing I'm someone else." C.C. sipped her tea and noticed Lelouch frowning. "You don't approve? Your Geass forces people to obey your commands no matter what."

"I use my Geass against my enemies or people that either suspect me or have only on use to me, no one else." Lelouch retorted.

"And since Suzaku is with the military, Engineering Corps or not he's technically an enemy that I have fooled." C.C. retorted.

"I can also sense his emotions so I know what kind of person he is and when he is lying. There's more to his job than he's saying." Naruto spoke up. "There is also the matter of the new Viceroy, Cornelia who has been wiping out resistance groups since she arrived. She's on Zero's trail like a bloodhound."

"Yes, I've heard. If she believes Zero is recruiting Elevens no doubt she believes that the resistance groups will be working with him." Lelouch said as he turned to the door. "I'll look into this later. This is not the time."

He left Naruto and C.C. in the kitchen.

"That voice." Naruto narrowed one eye. "I know that voice."

Xxx

"You should come by again. Nunnally would enjoy it." Lelouch escorted Suzaku to the door.

"Sure but…" Lelouch noticed the strange look on Suzaku's face. "Lelouch, I-I don't think we should be seen together at school."

"What do you mean?" Lelouch asked, surprised at hearing such a thing.

"Think, how would you explain it? Being friends with an Honorary Britannian? We have to guard your secret. No one can know you're royalty." Suzaku explained, making Lelouch flinch. "And the same goes for Nunnally. I don't want to cause any trouble."

"Doing it again, huh? Everyone's needs but your own?" Lelouch asked, getting angry.

"Again?" Suzaku asked.

"Forget it." Lelouch looked away.

"Huh…Thanks for having me. It was a lot of fun. I'll-uh-see you later." Suzaku turned around, sensing thing were getting tense. "I'm so glad you know. I thought we'd never get another chance…to talk like this."

Xxx

"No doubt." Naruto said as they watched Suzaku leave. "That's the same voice the pilot in the white Knightmare had."

"So, Lelouch's best friend-" C.C. started.

"Might be his worst enemy." Naruto stated with a sigh. "Déjà vu much anyone?"

When Suzaku was gone C.C. turned to Naruto. "He doesn't want to believe his friend is a possible enemy."

"One of the only friends in the land he was exiled to, can you blame him?" Naruto rhetorically asked.

"Perhaps not but still if he wants to become the leader he plans to be he will have to face the harsh truth." C.C. pointed out.

"Like a few you still wish to hide from him?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"The truth must come out slowly when he's ready." C.C. calmly answered.

Xxx

The next day was not easy for either Suzaku or Lelouch. One good thing was that even though Suzaku saw C.C. or rather C.C. he didn't recognize her for some reason. That was because before Suzaku had left C.C. had put a genjutsu on him so she would appear as a completely different person to him.

Then there was the other news.

"_It hasn't made the news yet but the Blood of the Samurai faction was wiped out by Cornelia. They were the largest group we had in Central Japan. Look, Zero, it won't be long until she comes after us._"

"Just keep your head. Our chance will come." Lelouch stood near a window on the stair way with his phone so no one would see or hear him.

"_But-_"

"Sit tight. I'll contact you later." Lelouch hung up. 'He's getting too overly familiar. Maybe I better cut my ties with them.'

He looked out the window and saw Suzaku cleaning a shirt that had been spray painted.

GO BACK TO YOUR GHETTO FILTHY ELEVEN

Lelouch flinched, upset that his friend was being treated like this.

Xxx

"That'll show that filthy Eleven."

"Maybe he'll leave and go back where he belongs."

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he spotted two students walking down the hall with a spray paint can in the left one's hand. 'Idiots. I think it's time to knock them onto their obnoxious asses.'

When they entered their class room they were greeted with everyone staring at them.

"Hey guys. You finally decided to join us." A student commented with a weird look. "You were done with your…business?"

"What do you mean?"

He held out a picture that made both of them step back in shock. It was a picture of both boys making out…

"WHAT?! What the hell is this?!"

"We didn't do that!"

Naruto smirked at the screaming students.

Xxx

"You know, I admit I'm not the calmest person on the planet." Naruto started. "But all of this 'Eleven' bullshit is really starting to annoy me."

"It can't be helped." Lelouch said as he put his Zero costume into the large briefcase, even though he was just as upset with the way Suzaku was being treated as Naruto probably was.

The door opened and C.C. came in with another box of pizza. "Trying to hide your mask huh?"

"Unlike my Geass and your Rinnegan the mask is a physical case of evidence." Lelouch put the helmet in the case.

"And we wouldn't want Suzaku or any student to see that now would we?" Naruto rhetorically asked as the door opened.

"All right, Lelouch. The tea is ready when you are." Nunnally said as she sniffed the air and saw the box in C.C.'s arms. "That smell? Hey, did you order pizza for Tsunade again?"

"I'm racking up reward points." Lelouch quickly answered as C.C. opened the box and began devouring the nearest slice. "I'll be right down okay."

"Lelouch." Nunnally said with a funny grin. "Maybe you should have Tsunade cut down on the pizza. You don't want her to get a blubbery belly."

"Yeah, C.C.. Wouldn't want your beautiful form looking like a beached whale would we?" Naruto snickered as C.C. pouted.

"Just don't _touch_," Lelouch said in a double edged tone directed at C.C. and Naruto, telling them not to touch his mask. "Or rub it, okay?"

"Oh scary." Nunnally giggled as she and Lelouch left the room and shutting the door.

"Not a single amount of humor in him." Naruto sighed.

He would have said more but he looked at the case when he heard a sound and his eyes widened when saw something familiar.

"What is-huh?" C.C. looked back as she heard the case fall on the ground and the sound of a cat meowing.

The cat moved past her as it walked down the hall and the door closed.

"What the heck?" C.C. looked at Naruto who was snickering. "Naruto, what's-"

"Meow." A cat's meow was heard from the living room.

"Was that-" C.C. started.

"Yep." Naruto answered.

"With-"

"Uh-uh." Naruto nodded and grinned. "Matatabi was right to bring that cat here. This is going to be funny."

'**And who said cats had no sense of humor?**' Kurama snickered.

"Naruto," C.C. frowned at him. "I can't believe you would play such a horrible little trick on Lelouch…without me!"

Naruto had to laugh at the pout C.C. was now sporting. "Sorry, I'll let you in next time."

"You'd better." C.C. smirked at the sound Lelouch shouting from the dining room.

"Hey! Give that back!" Lelouch shouted.

"Our resident genius and master of miracles outsmarted by a cat." Naruto laughed.

Naruto and C.C. watched as Arthur jumped out the balcony and landed perfectly on the ground, wearing Zero's mask over its face with Matatabi in her disguise, waiting for him. They took off running as Lelouch came onto the deck. The cat came into the dining room, wearing Zero's mask and caused Lelouch to jump out of his seat.

Thankfully Nunnally didn't see the mask but Lelouch should consider himself very lucky that the cat ran off before she got a good look at it.

"Come back here! A cat. A stupid little cat! You've got to be kidding me!" Lelouch said as he climbed over the railing and jumped down. "There's no way I'm getting exposed by a pair of lousy felines!"

"He says it like he can actually catch up when he's got the stamina of a one year old." Naruto snickered. "And now they'll both make it difficult for him."

"Naruto? Tsunade?" Nunnally rolled into the room. "I think something's wrong with Lelouch."

"Really? Like what?" C.C. asked with a small grin.

Xxx

"Yeah that's right. I think a cat ran off with something pretty important to him." Nunnally explained to Nina, Shirley, and Rivalz.

"Important?" Milly asked.

"I'm not sure what exactly but I'm positive it was something of value to him." Nunnally stated with a worried look on her face. "Because I've never heard my brother sound like that. He was completely hysterical."

"That's weird. What could be so important to the guy?" Rivalz wondered.

"A love letter?" Nina offered.

"An embarrassing photo?" Milly put a finger to her chin in thought.

"Poetry he wrote?" Rivalz threw in his own idea.

"Poetry?" Nunnally asked, knowing that Lelouch was not interested in that kind of stuff.

She didn't notice Milly and Rivalz sharing an eager look.

"What about Naruto and Tsunade? Do you guys know what the cat's got?" Milly looked at the two of them as they watched the conversation.

"Got me." Naruto shrugged. "It's not like he shares any big secrets with us."

"Leave it to us then. We'll get out hands on this thing before Lelouch has a chance to blink." Milly grinned mischievously as she gave Nunnally a thumb's up. "Just you wait."

'Now he's in for it.' Naruto and C.C. thought with identical smirks.

Xxx

'If I had those terrorists with me, we could encircle the enemy.' Lelouch followed the cat out onto the courtyard and looked around for the cat. 'Maybe Kallen. No, she's suspicious of me as it is. Where Naruto and C.C.? They should be helping me…unless.' Lelouch looked up and saw the cats running down the roof of the clubhouse. 'Naruto, you bastard! This is _your_ cat isn't it?!'

He followed after the cat but tripped and fell into a bush a second later. The cat jumped and landed on the ground and ran past Lelouch who got back up.

"Get it together." Lelouch muttered as he chased after the cat into the school, almost having a heart attack as it ran past a few students.

"What's up with that cat?" A girl asked as the cat stopped next to them, shaking its masked head.

"Is that the mask Zero wears or am I crazy?" Another girl asked as the cat ran down a corner.

"No way. Why would it be here?"

Lelouch ran up to them, stopping when he heard them.

"You two saw it?" He quickly activated his Geass. "Forget everything you've just seen."

His Geass took hold of the two girls as red rings encircled their eyes. "Sure. No problem at all."

"Good." Lelouch turned and chased after the cat.

He was not out of the woods yet as just as he spotted the cat he heard Milly's voice over the P.A. system. "_This is Milly Ashford your Student Council President, cat hunt everybody!"_

Those words made Lelouch almost freeze.

Xxx

"Cat hunt?" Suzaku looked from his home work.

Xxx

_ "There's a loose cat on the campus that needs to be rounded up so put everything on hold people. Participating clubs will get budget priority and whoever catches our feline friend will get an extra special surprise, a big old kiss from one of the members of the Council!_"

Xxx

Naruto and C.C. looked at each other as Milly finished with a devious laugh. "Members of the Council?"

"Wow, that Milly is very devious." Naruto grinned. "This just got a whole lot interesting."

Xxx

Shirley was about to take a dive in the pool when she heard the announcement and fell off the diving board.

Xxx

When Kallen heard the announcement she froze. "Members of the Council? Wait, like me!?"

It didn't help that boys came out of the bushes, talking about what kind of kiss they would get from her before running off to find the cat.

"There is no way this how I am going to get my first kiss!" Kallen said as she took off, forgetting she was supposed to act sick and feeble so no one would suspect her.

Xxx

"What? From a member of the Student Council?" A girl asked.

"Does that include Lelouch?" Almost all the girls giggled except one.

"Actually I would prefer Milly."

"Why do you have to be so different?" The rest of the girls looked at her with freaked out looks.

Xxx

"_And when you do catch that cat, bring whatever it's carrying to me, to me, to ME!_" Milly laughed as she ended the announcement but ended up coughing from the lack of breath.

"Milly, stay out of this will you?" Lelouch grumbled.

Xxx

"Offering up people as prizes. This is why I hate Britannians." Kallen complained as she ran through the hall but stopped when she spotted a pair of girls walking up to her and quickly resumed her sickly act as they walked past her. The second the coast was clear she took off running again. "Damn. Why do I have to pretend like I'm sick and feeble?"

She ran around the corner and accidentally bumped into somebody.

Kallen stepped back, quickly putting back on her mask. "Geez, I'm sorry about that- Shirley, why are you dressed like that?"

In front of her was Shirley wearing a swimsuit. "I didn't have time to change; they're going to make us kiss somebody. We've got to hurry."

"I'm with you." Kallen nodded in complete agreement.

Xxx

It turned out a source of great entertainment for Naruto and C.C. as the cat outsmarted and evaded every student on the campus.

"By Kami, all it takes is one cat and everyone's got nuts." Naruto laughed. "This just way too easy!"

Matatabi helped out by using genjutsu on over a dozen students when they thought they had caught the cat Milly was talking about. This led to people pilling on each other in the dirt, catching each other with their own nets, and both Naruto and C.C. laughed when they saw a student land on another, kissing them straight on the lips.

Xxx

"Nunnally, is there anything about this cat that's special?" Nina asked as Milly took a sip of water and held the microphone to Nunnally.

"Hm…I think that its leg must be hurt because even though I didn't get a good look at it its footsteps sounded off to me. And huh…Oh! I almost forgot. It meowed like this." Nunnally took a deep breath.

Xxx

"_MEOW!_"

Nunnally's meow caused dozens of cheers and shouts through the school.

"They really know how to work a crowd." C.C. commented as she and Naruto watched from the roof.

"They can try but they'll never catch the cat." Naruto said, knowing how smart both cats were.

Matatabi said that the cat figured out she was not an ordinary cat when they first met and didn't run in terror.

Xxx

"Okay!" Milly ran out and hopped onto the passenger seat of Rivalz's motorcycle. "Let's go!"

"What happens if a member of the Student Council catches the cat? We don't get a prize do we?" Rivalz asked as he looked at Milly's lips.

"Do we get a kiss?" Milly smirked up at Rivalz as she put on the helmet. "But of course."

"Is that so?" Rivalz said as he started the engine. "Well what are we waiting around for then? This is my day to shine!"

The motorcycle sped off, kicking up dust everywhere.

"Hey! No speeding on campus!" A teacher shouted.

Xxx

"Meow!" Matatabi ran into an open box and hissed as two girls cornered her.

"Okay, we do this right and our lips will be safe." Kallen whispered to Shirley. "Shirley you cover the rear."

Shirley looked at Kallen and noticed the determined look on her face that didn't seem to fit the quiet and sickly girl she knew. "Wait a sec!"

"Uh?" Kallen turned and looked at her. "What's the matter?"

"Who would you want to get a kiss from?" Shirley asked anxiously. "Is there anyone in particular?"

"Huh?" Kallen gasped in confusion and shock from hearing such a question..

"It wouldn't be Lulu would it?" Shirley continued questioning.

"Huh? Just what would make you think that?" Kallen asked incredulously.

"Oh well…I guess…" Shirley trailed off blushing.

Neither girl noticed the cat sneaking past them. 'Too easy.'

Xxx

Arthur ran into the open window the school's bell tower and he made sure he was spotted. He liked playing with his new friend and her human slaves that took him in and didn't pass up the chance to have fun with them.

"Hey that's…" Suzaku started running to the stairs leading up to the top.

"Suzaku!?"

The brunette stopped as Lelouch did at the same time. "Lelouch, you're looking for the cat too?"

"Meow!" A sudden meow from the top caught their attention. "Meow!"

"Up there." Suzaku said as he turned to the stairs.

"Suzaku wait!" Lelouch called out as he followed his friend. "Don't go up there!"

"But the Student Council President said catch it." Suzaku said without stop.

"Don't worry about it. I'll get the cat!" Lelouch quickly said.

"I was always more agile than you. Remember when that little bird got loose?"

"Quit talking ancient history!"

"It was only seven years ago."

"Oh for Pete's sake." Lelouch was gasping for air. "He always was an exercise nut."

Xxx

Rivalz stopped his motorcycle in front of the bell tower where everyone else was waiting.

"So someone's got it cornered huh?" Milly hopped out of her seat as Nina rolled Nunnally up to the front of the group. "Who's the lucky winner?"

"Up there!" Shirley pointed to the open window below the bell.

They all could see someone climbing up to the bell.

"Suzaku?" Shirley asked.

"Easy now." Suzaku said when he saw the cat sitting under the bell. "You don't have to be scared."

"Suzaku!" Lelouch came out of the window. "Come back!"

"It's all right." Suzaku said, thinking Lelouch was worried about him. "Leave this to me."

'That's funny. He never went along with the crowd like this.' Lelouch thought as he tried to climb after Suzaku.

Of course Lelouch wasn't good at physical exercises and it showed as he slipped and started sliding back. "Gah!"

Down below almost everyone gasped as Lelouch slid down to the edge while Suzaku turned when he heard the commotion. "Huh? Lelouch!"

He quickly turned around and slid back down in a crouch position, grabbing the edge of the opened window and quickly reached out to grab Lelouch's hand just in time. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." Lelouch shakily answered.

"Is it possible those two are…" Nina trailed off as they all watched.

As Suzaku helped him back up Lelouch spotted the cat shake the mask off his head and look down at him with a mischievous grin as he meowed. Lelouch sighed in relief as the mask slid down and landed on the other end where no one would see it.

"Pretty calm for someone on the verge of death." Suzaku commented as he tried to pull Lelouch back up.

"Yeah right. I was just limp with fear." Lelouch answered back with smile.

Suzaku tried to pull himself back up to the opened window but he noticed his hand was slipping. He had been covered in sweat from chasing the cat and hadn't been paying attention.

"Suzaku, what's-" Lelouch and Suzaku both cried out as Suzaku's hands slipped off and they both began sliding down to the edge of the roof.

"Oh no!" Nunnally, Rivalz, Shirley, and Milly cried.

Lucky for them a hand reached out and grabbed Suzaku's hand, stopping them from slipping and falling off.

"Boy, you guys really don't pay attention, do you?" They both looked up to see Naruto holding Suzaku's hand with a foxy smile on his face.

Xxx

Everyone was silent as they all watched Suzaku come out with the cat in his arms. "It's the same cat from the other day."

The cat hissed silently but did nothing as Suzaku stopped and saw everyone staring at him.

When Shirley noticed everyone was quiet she quickly took the initiative and walked up to Suzaku with a smile. "You saved him. Thank you so much Suzaku."

"Yeah, way to go there new guy." Rivalz agreed.

"That cat was carrying something wasn't it?" Milly asked eagerly.

"Yeah. There was something on its head but I never really got a good look at it." Suzaku answered sheepishly. "Guess it slipped off when I wasn't looking."

"So where is Lulu?" Shirley asked.

"He said he forgot something. Told me to go ahead." Suzaku answered, looking back at the stairs.

"That's it!" Milly exclaimed. "The embarrassing secret that he's hiding."

"So that's it Madam President?" Everyone turned to see Lelouch come out of the shadows.

Milly groaned. "After all this time I thought I finally had some dirt on you."

"Yeah. He almost lost his cool for once." Shirley sighed in agreement.

Suzaku smiled at Lelouch who glanced at him.

"So, uh, do you two know each other then?" Kallen asked.

Both of them stiffened at the sudden question.

"Yeah, but he's an Eleven." Nina said, shaking slightly.

"So what?" Everyone turned and saw Naruto and C.C. walking towards them, coming out from behind the shadows like Lelouch did with Matatabi in C.C.'s arms. "Don't matter that much to me. Would you rather he didn't have a so-called Eleven around to save his life and stop him from falling to his death?"

"Uh, I-I mean…" Nina trailed off.

"Hey, that's other cat that was with this one!" Suzaku realized.

"You mean Matatabi here?" C.C. asked curiously as she looked down at the _female_ cat. "She's our cat but she likes to wander off because even if she has a house she's still a little feral."

"Matatabi?" Kallen asked curiously at the Japanese name.

"Yes. Naruto's grandfather named her." C.C. answered simply. "But we're getting off track. After all, Lelouch, everyone is wondering if you're friends with the Honorary Britannian that just saved your life."

"He's my friend." Lelouch answered, making everyone look at him as he took advantage of the opening C.C. gave him. "Madam President, would you permit him as a member of the Student Council?"

"Huh?" Everyone looked in confusion.

"The rules are clear. All students are required to join a club." Lelouch said with a blank look on his face. "All though…"

Everyone looked at Milly who thought it over. "Well you are the Vice-President. I suppose I can't refuse."

Shirley, Rivalz, and even Kallen smiled at Milly's answer.

"Well, I guess that's the end of that." Nunnally wheeled forward. "Now come here you two. Give me an ear. You too Naruto."

"Uh?" The three looked at each other in confusion but stepped forward and leaned down where Nunnally quickly kissed them on the cheek.

"Uh-Nunnally?" Suzaku asked as they stood up.

"There you go, you two. The reward as Milly promised. Since you both caught the cat and Naruto saved you both you'll have to settle for me, almost a real council member." Nunnally said causing Naruto to chuckle.

Nunnally really was a pure soul.

"All right then, let's celebrate the catching on the cat. Everything's on the new guy naturally." Rivalz pumped a fist in the air.

"Oh back off!" Shirley said as she turned to Suzaku. "Hi there, I'm Shirley. Pleasure to meet you."

"Oh right. I'm Rivalz." Rivalz introduced himself.

"Milly Ashford. Student Council President." Milly continued.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto added.

"Tsunade Senju." C.C. nodded.

Lelouch was afraid Suzaku would still recognize C.C. but he didn't seem to. "The pleasure is mine."

Xxx

Lelouch managed to retrieve the mask and he was sure to make his displeasure known to Naruto and C.C. as he returned. By this time the temporary body Naruto made for Matatabi vanished into a puff of smoke. Naruto had discovered he could use the Shadow Clone Jutsu to make temporary bodies for the Biju inside of him by transferring their chakra into the Shadow Clone, allowing them control it like a puppet.

"Your cat nearly exposed me, Uzumaki." Lelouch growled as he put the mask away. "You tell me not to treat war like a game but you're the one who seems to taking this less seriously than I am."

"Don't blame me, Lelouch. The idea that you left your mask out for a cat to steal is punishment for leaving it out to be stolen in the first place." Naruto finished another bowel of Ramen. "Imagine if Suzaku or someone else came upon that mask."

Lelouch grunted as he closed the case. "If my secret is discovered so is yours."

"Relax, Matatabi and Arthur wouldn't have done anything to blow your secret so relax." Naruto said, not affected by Lelouch's glare.

"And how do you know that?" Lelouch asked rhetorically. "Is that cat another talking animal of yours?"

"Nope, Arthur's just a smarter than your average cat that is a friend Matatabi made." Naruto answered simple with a smirk.

Lelouch knew he wouldn't get anywhere with trying to intimidate Naruto so he let it go but he'd make sure none of Naruto's pets would get his mask again.

Good luck with that.

Xxx

When school was over Suzaku was greeted with a party as he was invited to join the Student Council. C.C. eyed the pizza on the table that Milly ordered since she found out how fast how much she liked pizza while everyone else enjoyed simple discussions or snacks as they welcomed Suzaku.

Except for one.

Naruto noticed Nina facing the computer, not even glancing over her shoulder to take part in the party.

'This could be a problem.' Naruto thought.

'**What a weakling. Scared of a measly boy who is more of a danger to himself.**' Kurama grumbled.

Naruto sighed and walked over to Nina. "Hello?"

"Huh?!" Nina gasped as she looked up at Naruto. "So-sorry. Was I t-too loud?"

"Not at all. Just wondering why you're here and not partying with the rest of us." Naruto answered.

"We-well I-I have a lot of wo-work to do." Nina answered, shaking a bit.

"Really? After a whole day of chasing after a crazy cat you want to work rather than rest?" Naruto raised one eyebrow.

"We-well-"

"You do know it could be seen as a little rude if you keep your back to everyone person who joins the Student Council. After all, Suzaku did save the Vice-President from falling to his death." Naruto pointed out.

"I-I know, but…He's…" Nina trailed off.

By this point everyone was looking at them.

"He's what? I'm drawing a blank." Naruto said.

"Maybe she thinks he's cute." C.C. offered.

"Wh-WHAT?!" Nina gasped.

"Or it's something else." C.C. shrugged as she stole another slice of pizza.

"It's not th-that!" Nina exclaimed. "It's…"

"Oh! Now I get it!" Naruto said, shaking his head.

"You do?" Nina asked.

"You do realize that this guy was wrongly accused of murdering Prince Clovis, right?" Naruto asked, instantly changing the mood.

"Bu-but, there had to be a reason he was accused." Nina insisted, making Lelouch frown and Nunnally look sadly at Suzaku.

"Really? And what do you base that on? After all I heard it was just a plot by the Purebloods to abolish the Honorary Britannian system." Naruto pointed out. "It pays to have a family that can look into these things."

"Indeed." C.C. agreed. "Is it because he's a so-called Eleven? Does this mean that Naruto and I make you want to jump out of your skin in fright every time we're in the same room?"

"N-no, I me-mean…" Nina tried to defend herself.

"We're half Elevens, so does this mean we're monsters in disguise who are going to eat you?" C.C. finished her slice.

"Honestly, you've known us for a whole week now and have we done _anything_?" Naruto rhetorically asked. "Hey, Lelouch? Have we done anything like help Terrorists blow up a building and kill innocent people the whole time we've been living with you and Nunnally."

"Not that I can recall." Lelouch answered with a small grin.

"See, nothing to be afraid of. Does this mean you only believe full Elevens are monsters? I guess this means no inviting you to meet my parents if they show up." Naruto remarked with a sad sigh and looked at Lelouch. "Hey, weren't you telling me that Suzaku saved your life the other day? When you got lost in Shinjuku?"

Everyone's eyes widened as they looked at Lelouch.

'Uzumaki, what are you doing?' Lelouch thought, wondering if Naruto was trying to get his cover blown.

"You were in Shinjuku?" Kallen asked, now interested.

"Yeah he was. We were on our back when a truck crashed off the highway and Mr. Hero here went down to see if the driver was all right. He fell into the back when the truck drove off because was on the roof at the time." Rivalz explained.

"Really?" Kallen asked, sounding surprised and trying to cover up how worried she was.

Did Lelouch see her that day? If so then she might have to kill him to keep her identity secret. She avoided looking at Nunnally as she thought that, knowing she might rob the crippled girl of her brother who seemed to act like the perfect loving brother a little sister could ask for from what saw when Lelouch and Nunnally were together.

Just like Naoto.

"Thank you, Rivalz. As always you make me sound so heroic." Lelouch decided to play along to try to keep Kallen from being suspicious. "Anyways I fell into the back of the truck and bumped my head on something. That's when things got blurry for me. When I awoke the next thing I knew I was being attacked by some soldier accusing me of being a terrorist and pinned me down. It wasn't until he looked down at me and saw my uniform did he realize I was some student. He asked me why I was there and when I explained he offered to escort me out."

Suzaku would have interjected but realized Lelouch was covering up what really happened to better protect his and Nunnally's secret. Kallen was relieved that Lelouch didn't see her but decided to be careful around him for now.

"He took off his helmet and I was shocked to see it was an Eleven who was getting me out of that warzone but nonetheless I was thankful." Lelouch finished with a smile. "I was shocked to hear he was accused of Prince Clovis's murder since he was with me the whole time but like Naruto said the Purebloods were making a show of it and I couldn't go up and say he was innocent since I had no proof confirm his alibi. It's not the first time someone would try to cover up a crime and pin it on an Eleven."

"You saved Lulu's life back then too?" Shirley asked Suzaku who was now looking embarrassed.

"Well-" Suzaku started but couldn't find words.

"Thank you." Shirley smiled.

"Uh, oh, no problem. He wasn't armed and I knew he couldn't be a terrorist. He didn't even look very tough." Suzaku said bashfully.

Everyone shared a chuckle as everyone knew about Lelouch's non-existent physicality.

"See, saves your friend's life." Naruto looked back at Nina. "Do you still think he's that bad?"

"We-well…" Nina looked back between Naruto, Lelouch, and Suzaku. "I-I'll think about you said. It's j-just…Elevens scare me."

"That's all anyone can ask." Naruto smiled as he sat next to C.C.

Xxx

The next day all students were gathered together in the gym as Prince Clovis's funeral was being shown all across Britannia and its colonies.

"_And now, his Royal Majesty, the 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire._"

For the first time Naruto got a good look as the Emperor, Charles zi Britannia walked up the podium. The man was tall and big, wearing a purple military uniform underneath a long flowing cloak, his white hair styled like a judge's with a look of authority and confidence. He definitely had the look of a ruler with his very being emanating an aura that made a person want to submit just by looking at him.

'Very few people have a look that can match him. He's definitely the type of man who can call himself a ruler.' Naruto thought.

"_All men are…NOT created equal. Some are born swifter afoot, some with greater beauty, some are born into poverty and others are born sick and feeble. Both in birth and upbringing in sheer scope of ability every human is inherently different; yes that is the reason why people discriminate against one another, which is why there is struggle, competition, and the unfaltering march of progress."_

Xxx

_ "Inequality is not wrong, equality is."_

Diethard tuned out the speech as he looked at the recording of Zero during the rescue of Warrant Officer Kururugi.

Xxx

_What of the E.U. which made equality a right? Rabble politics by a popular contest."_

Jeremiah, Villetta, and the remaining Pure Blood remained silent and still as they saluted and listened to the Emperor.

Xxx

_ "The Chinese Federation with its equal distribution of wealth? A nation of lazy dullards. _

Ohgi and rest of the group stared Emperor on the television with dark looks.

Xxx

_"But not our beloved Britannia, we fight, we compete, evolution is continuous."_

"Evolution." Lloyd remarked in a drawl tone though still smirking, not bothering to copy the rest of his group's actions in saluting as they all listened. "Such a pretty little word."

Xxx

_ "Britannia alone moves forward, advancing steadily into the future, even the death of my son Clovis, demonstrates Britannia unswerving commitment to progress."_

Cornelia and Euphemia remained silent as they listened to the televised speech. Cornelia was still as a statue while Euphemia looked down with a saddened look, thinking of her deceased brother instead of listening to her father's speech.

Xxx

_"We will fight on, we shall struggle, compete, plunder, and dominate and in the end the future shall be ours!"_

Kallen glared at the screen while concealing her feelings of contempt and hate for the leader of the empire that had conquered and oppressed her home, Milly didn't show an ounce of emotion on her face, Nina bowed her head in submission, Suzaku looked down at the ground and his hand tightened into a fist, Rivalz could only make his silly grin as he half listened to the speech, Shirley looked unsure, Lelouch glowered at the screen with his eyes twitching only once while Naruto and C.C. studied the Emperor on the screen.

_"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!_" The Emperor finished his speech by pumping his fist above his head.

"_ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!_" The gathered assembly chanted with him.

Naruto could sense the negative emotions coming from Lelouch. Pure hate and rage consuming him from within as he glared at the television screen. It reminded him so much of the look on Sasuke's face when he confronted Itachi years ago.

'He really hates his father. Then again just a few words from him and I hate this jackass already.' Naruto thought as the funeral assembly before the Emperor chanted 'All hail Britannia'.

'This is the mask of Emperor Charles zi Britannia.' C.C. thought. 'A man who speaks of lies and weaklings to continue his plan to destroy God.'

'And forcefully take away all free will in the world. What the hell is with me and running into psychos who plot to become the new God or something like that? First it was Madara and now this guy.' Naruto sighed but frowned at the screen.

There was no way he was going to let another psycho try attempt to destroy all individuality in the world for his belief in a world without lies.

'Here we go again.' Naruto thought with a sigh.

Lelouch stopped out of the room with Rivalz running after him. "Hey, wait for me!"

"He's certainly got issues." Naruto commented.

"At least he's not going to do something stupid." C.C. replied. "Now come on. I want dinner."

"Hey, we had Pizza last night. It's Ramen night." Naruto protested.

"A true boyfriend would normally treat his girlfriend to anything she wants." C.C. said as they walked out.

"And a kind girlfriend would at least humor her boyfriend into letting him have real food for once." Naruto retorted.

C.C. narrowed her eyes. "How dare you say Pizza is not real food? It's more real than those water noodles."

"Water…noodles?" Naruto's eyes darkened.

Both Naruto and C.C. stared at each other with lightning dancing between their narrowed eyes. Thus another conflict between two forces of nature on which food was the best food in this world or any world.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

Cornelia walked through the hangar of the Viceroy Palace, followed by Lloyd Asplund and two guards as she continued her inspection. It was nothing new to Cornelia as she was aware of Lloyd's reputation and his attempts to get more funding for his inventions or for the chance to make use of them in real combat, including the one he was showing her.

"It's a Seventh Generation Knightmare making its abilities far greater than normal." Lloyd finished his report on the Lancelot as Cornelia stopped and turned to face him.

"I understand that the Lancelot's pilot is an Eleven." Cornelia spoke. "And that it was defeated by the two advanced Knightmares that helped Zero rescue that same Eleven during its debut."

"That's correct. An Honorary Britannian, however-" Lloyd tried to protest the Lancelot's defeat but Cornelia was not interested in hearing it.

"I'm promoting this man from Private to Warrant Officer. That should satisfy him." She said dryly. "I'm trying to win without relying too much on the numbers."

Xxx

As Cornelia continued her inspection Euphemia was in her office, going over the battle plans Cornelia had drawn up. 'Those who go into battle are the ones that deserve to rule. I understand, Sister, but…'

She could only look down sadly at her desk at what her sister was planning.

Xxx

The Lancelot was almost completely repaired and ready for its next mission while its pilot had other matters to attend to.

"Sorry you have to sit here and watch me do my homework." Suzaku said, reading his text book.

"Oh don't worry about it. You never attended a regular school before so it can't be avoided." Cecile replied, not minding his papers at all.

"The guys on the Student Council are helping me too but it's still hard."

Suzaku looked up as he heard Cecile giggle. "To be honest with you I've been a little bit worried. It's supposed to be a liberal school but was afraid you were not fitting in."

"Me too, I was expecting that." Suzaku smiled back. "But I happened to run into an old friend there and he smoothed everything out for me."

"Be sure you never take that friend for granted." Cecile advised with a smile. "If your friendship continues it won't have been coincidence it will have been pre-destined."

"Okay." Suzaku answered, sounding surprised at the advice.

"Anyways please try one of these." Cecile gestured to the food.

"Oh okay." Suzaku took a bite, sampling the taste in his mouth and blanching. "Uh, there's jam."

"Yes. I happen to get some lovely blue berries."

"All right everyone!" Lloyd called out dramatically. "Pack it up, pack it up! We're done for the day. Don't do anymore. Hip-hip-hooray!" He then took a dramatic bow with a depressed sigh. "That's all folks!"

"Um…" Suzaku glanced at Cecile who only giggled nervously.

"Go to school. Classes might be over for the day but it's important to meet your friends and have a social life too." She said as she started packing things up.

Xxx

"Hey Kallen, can I ask you something?" Shirley asked as she and Kallen set up the room for Arthur and Matatabi who was the new mascot.

"Hm? Yeah sure. What is it?" Kallen picked up Matatabi who was in her regular disguise again.

"Kallen, are you hiding something from us?" Shirley stared at the painting.

"Uh?" Kallen looked up as Matatabi meowed.

"If it's something too personal…" Shirley trailed off.

"Uh, no. What are you talking about?" Kallen asked, hugging Matatabi to her chest.

"You can tell me. I promise I won't be shocked or upset." Shirley looked over her shoulder. "But the thing is I happened to see you before."

Kallen held up her pink pouch and sprouted a knife that caused Matatabi to struggle and Arthur to meow in protest about how close the knife was to her, thinking the girl was about to do something stupid. 'Come on you! Think before you react!'

"You're going out with Lulu, aren't you?" Shirley spun around to face Kallen. "Right?"

"Huh? Lulu?" Kallen asked, completely unprepared for what she heard.

"The other day I saw you outside talking to Lulu and then Naruto and Tsunade told me what Rivalz said!" Shirley explained.

"Uh! No, no, no, no! That was all a misunderstanding." Kallen quickly hid her pouch as she stood up.

"A misunderstanding?" Shirley asked confused.

"No wait. It wasn't like that!" Kallen said, realizing that Shirley was a little upset for some reason.

"I don't get it. You were trying so hard to catch the cat before." Shirley said, remembering the cat hunt and how determined Kallen was.

"No that wasn't it. Besides it's not like we kissed or anything." Kallen tried to calm her down but she quickly say it made things a little worse.

"Or anything?!" Shirley gasped. "Then you stopped short of doing it!?"

"Will you quit imagining things?! You don't understand the circumstance one bit!" Kallen yelled, slipping her mask off.

Matatabi in the meantime was enjoying the show going on. 'Oh dear. One little boy and all these kittens out to get him. Reminds me of a certain someone.'

Xxx

Elsewhere on the campus Naruto suddenly sneezed. "Hm? Where did that come from?"

Xxx

"The Saitama Ghetto is completely surrounded." Darlton reported as he gazed at the map screen showing their forces. "The Yamato Alliance's headquarters is somewhere in there."

Behind him sat Cornelia on her throne, looking at the map with a bored expression with her Knight, Gilbert G.P. Guilford standing next to her.

"What will be the effect production?" Cornelia asked, weighing possible losses in this operation.

"Primary sector output should fall by 0.2 percent." Darlton assured her.

"So well within expectations. All right." Cornelia turned her attention to the fearful commanders to the side. "All of you participated in the Shinjuku disaster, correct?"

"Y-Yes." The middle commander stuttered he saluted and bowed to Cornelia. "And we're grateful to you, Princess Cornelia, for your mercy on-"

"That's not what I was asking." Cornelia cut him off, disgusted at the three of them as she turned to face the screen. "Do you think the conditions are similar to Shinjuku?"

As she spoke a butterfly watched from the wall, seemingly listening in on the conversation.

Xxx

All news channels across Japan were interrupted by an emergency broadcast from Cornelia. "_Military authorities report that that have surrounded the Saitama Ghetto, a known hiding place for terrorists. Viceroy Cornelia is also in on the scene and entering into that area is restricted._"

Xxx

"Oh and what has you looking so serious?" C.C. asked from the bed as Lelouch walked into the room with a scowl on his face and turned the television on.

"Uh oh." Naruto muttered. 'I've seen that look before.

'**You've had that look plenty of times.**' Kurama pointed out with a grin.

'Bite me.'

Xxx

"It appears that a full scale assault will be launched in two hours." The newswoman continued.

"News is one thing but why are broadcasting the battle so early." An intern quietly asked as they all watched.

"Because they're trying to provoke Zero." Diethard Reid answered, annoyed at the man's naivety.

Xxx

"Zero is a criminal with a flair for the theatrical. I have recreated the same conditions that existed in Shinjuku, in order to draw him out. If he's the overconfident type, I predict he will come here to try and kill me." Cornelia explained with a confident smile.

"Viceroy that would mean risking your own life!" One of the aids exclaimed.

Cornelia sent a harsh glared towards the man who trembled under her gaze. "What you fail to understand is that war is a struggle between pride and life."

Xxx

"So, I take it you're going?" C.C. frowned.

"Why would I turn down such a gracious invitation?" Lelouch rhetorically asked.

Naruto scoffed. "You're not seriously falling for it are you?"

"Well they did go through such lengths to get my attention."

"You're not taking this seriously at all. I told you not to treat war like a game." Naruto scowled at Lelouch's ego.

He instantly knew that this was a trap on the fact that Cornelia was not only a soldier but a capable strategist considering how well she eliminated the other resistance cells during the last few days.

"And you two are going to stop me now?" Lelouch frowned as he pulled out his pistol.

"And what do you have aside from a single gun that can stop us? Your Geass won't work on us and we're more than prepared." C.C. rhetorically asked as she pulled a kunai out.

"So let's drop the bullshit and talk like a real council of war." Naruto walked up to Lelouch and stopped in front of him. "You can either try to destroy Britannia or find the man who killed your mother. You can't go onto the battlefield with both objectives in mind."

"The two objectives are equally important. The royal family members are competing against each other for the throne to become the next emperor; or rather they are being forced to fight by that _man_."

"But the very thing you hate is what makes Britannia strong, the royal heir who survives and strong is best fit to become the next emperor, the last one left standing." C.C. stood up from the bed.

"Exactly, the weak ones lose and are cast aside. Britannia is that kind of nation, that kind of world." Lelouch narrowed his eyes.

"Survival is the most basic rule of all."

"If that's true then what happens to Nunnally?! Should I cast her aside for being weak?! I refuse to see anyone suffering the way she did!" Lelouch shouted.

"We're not going to let you die without finishing our contract." C.C. said as her yellow eyes morphed, showing her Rinnegan with the Geass symbol around her pupil glowing violet.

"So shut up, sit down and start acting like a tactician. We're not planning to sit by and watch you get yourself killed or let Cornelia set off another massacre but we'll do it the smart way." Naruto showed his Rinnegan, while ignoring Kurama taunting him about being smart was not his forte. "You think just because the group from Shinjuku followed your orders perfectly means the Yamato Alliance will be the same? People who don't know you and have no real trust. There is no reason they won't abandon you when things get tough and from what I saw Cornelia is an actual leader who wants your head on a pike. You can't afford to be overconfident this early."

Lelouch would have brushed their comments aside but he knew one or both of them could overpower him so he relented. "So then, what do you suggest?"

Naruto and C.C. smirked, happy that they got through his thick skull.

Xxx

A butterfly landed in a tunnel and a second later there was puff of smoke the cleared to reveal Seizan and Shinryoku standing in the tunnel.

'Good work, Chomei.' Naruto mentally complimented as he felt the Nanabi return to his mindscape. 'Thanks for spying on Cornelia for us. Now we can properly counter her.'

'_My pleasure, Naruto-sama._' Chomei answered.

"Now then," Naruto said as he opened the cockpit and allowed Lelouch who dressed as Zero to get out. "You remember what we discussed."

"I have." Lelouch nodded as Naruto and C.C. both made the same hand sign.

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu!**"

Xxx

Britannian soldiers cornered a group of Japanese civilians and shot a man in front of the crowd.

"Why are you doing this?! There are children here! These people have done nothing!"

"Exactly you are doing nothing to reveal the terrorists hiding here. You cover for them. That's treason against a suzerain state." The soldier pointed their rifles. "Now you will-"

The sergeant never finished his sentence as he and the other soldiers were all killed as kunai and shuriken flew through air, slicing through their throats and embedding themselves in their heads. The civilians saw cloaked figures wearing animal masks coming out of the shadows.

"People of Saitama, we have been sent by Zero to prevent as many civilian casualties as possible." The 'leader' spoke. "Follow the tunnels to get as far from the battlefield as possible. Do not stop until you are out of the Ghetto."

The people did as they were told, whispering 'thank you' to the cloaked warriors as more moved at high speed through the Ghetto.

Xxx

"I don't understand. Why won't Princess Cornelia order us to attack?" Jeremiah grunted as the Pureblood stood with their Sutherlands, simply standing guard.

"She won't because _Orange_ here." Kewell sneered. "Thanks to you our careers are over."

"No you're wrong! It was Zero who did that!" Jeremiah protested.

Villetta looked over at Jeremiah and remembered that boy from Shinjuku and her memory loss of how she lost her Sutherland. 'Zero? Could that student be working with him?'

Xxx

The leaders of the Yamato Alliance watched with grim and fearful looks as Cornelia's forces began decimating the Ghetto.

"Can't we get through the Saiko line?"

"They have armored tanks blocking it."

"We can't even use the side roads either."

"What about the other districts like Akakbani or Jojo? Can they send support?"

"The Britannians have covered all entrances, so they can get one or two people in but that's it."

"Sir, listen to this." A soldier ran in with a radio.

"I am Zero." Everyone at the table gasped. "I assume all of you heard about the Shinjuku incident. Do exactly what I tell you and you will win."

Xxx

"Please have mercy." A Japanese man begged as a group of soldiers pointed their guns at him, his wife, and his son.

"Worthless Eleven. This is for Prince Clovis!" The soldiers prepared to fire but just before they did a shot rang out and the leader fell over with a hole in his head.

The other soldiers didn't have a chance to find out what happened as they were dead a second later when two black blurs landed behind them and slit their throats before they even knew that they had died.

"Britannian justice at its best." Zero lowered his gun as the Japanese group gazed him with grateful looks. "I am currently evacuating all civilians. Go in that direction to get to safety before the fighting starts."

Xxx

'And thus begins the second part of the plan.' Lelouch thought. 'I'll give the Yamato Alliance a chance to fight but if things go south like Naruto said I'll fall back to his plan.'

Lelouch used the same uniform he stole to infiltrate Clovis's G1 and managed to trick a guard into coming out. Once that was done he used his Geass to steal the pilot's Sutherland, much like how he did before. Naruto and C.C. had sent Shadow Clones all over the place to rescue civilians and even had one disguised as Zero himself to inspire hope in the people he rescued.

He hopped into the cockpit and turned on the communication systems. "This is Zero. As planned I have captured an enemy Sutherland. Wait for my initial instructions before beginning the attack."

"Hai Zero!"

Xxx

"Viceroy, we've lost contact with the squads sent to gather civilians." Darlton reported.

"It seems we either underestimated these terrorists or…" Cornelia smirked. "Zero's nearby. Shall we begin?"

Darlton nodded. "Right. Attention all forces, commence eradication of the Saitama Ghetto. All forces, assume Level One Battle stations."

Xxx

_"B12 is complete."_

_"F7, no sign of the enemy."_

_"D24 under control."_

"_P12 move to point 506._"

"_Yes my Lord. Changing course to 506._"

"_No resistance. Guess this Zero is a no show._"

"_Yeah. Nothing here but mangy terrorists._"

The pilots in the two Sutherlands couldn't continue their conversation as two rockets flew out struck them in their factspheres.

Xxx

Lelouch smirked as he registered the two Sutherlands being destroyed. "Now to drag Cornelia out."

Xxx

"_R1 and R2, draw the enemy to where N7 is, B12 and B7 fire at two o'clock._"

A pair of tanks exploded.

"_P5, commence firing._"

Two Britannian Sutherlands were ripped apart by a barrage of bullets.

Xxx

"We've lost Jester's signal!"

"Unit 5 engaging at point 592."

"Kazinki's unit is retreating under heavy fire."

"It's just like in Shinjuku." An officer whispered.

"It appears that the enemy is using stolen Sutherlands." Cornelia stated calmly. "Any sign of Zero or those two Knightmares yet?"

"Negative."

Xxx

"_N2, attack at three o'clock._"

Britannian infantry were gunned down by enemy fire.

"_R4, open fire._"

A VTOL was shot down.

"_N1, take the one on the left._"

Another tank was blown apart.

"_P3, destroy the bright to cut off their retreat._"

A bridge containing enemy tanks, infantry and Sutherlands exploded, sending the enemy units falling into the river.

Xxx

"Point R7 is destroyed. All units lost."

"All forces fall back. There is no point in further casualties." Cornelia calmly ordered.

"We're retreating?" One of the officers asked.

"Your majesty, we can still fight."

"We can't fight them like this." Cornelia replied.

Xxx

"_All units withdraw to the Ghetto's entrance. Repeat, withdraw to the Ghetto's entrance._"

"You hear that?" Lelouch asked on a secure channel.

"_Yep. Cornelia's got confirmation that we're here now. If she's as skilled as she is rumored to be she most likely studied Shinjuku. I'm no expert planner but I knew all those Sutherlands out for the rebels to steal was fishy. Now she's ordering a retreat and everyone has, except for the Sutherlands that have been stolen._" Naruto answered. "_This was way too easy._"

"And you believe that Cornelia planned for that?" Lelouch deduced. "She suspects I've stolen a Sutherland and she believes I'll try to get to her like Clovis."

"_My teacher always said to look underneath the underneath and I'm smart enough to know the same trick never works twice, especially against someone who knows how to fight. Hurry and tell the rebel pilots to abandon their Sutherlands or they'll be killed._"

"Let's test that." Lelouch changed the channel.

Xxx

"I win this round." Cornelia smirked.

"Huh?"

"Of course. This is why Cornelia is called the Goddess of Victory." Darlton smiled as he bowed.

"Shall we go then, Guilford, my knight?" Cornelia glanced at the man standing next to her.

"It will be my pleasure and honor, milady." Guilford answered with respect and admiration.

Xxx

Lelouch watched as squadrons of Gloucesters charged out of the G-1 base. "Just as Naruto said. She's sending out Gloucester frames. Now to see if what Naruto said was true." He turned on his radio. "This is Zero. N1 will reengage their I.F.F. and operate as Britannian unit."

"_Understood._"

"As my decoy." Lelouch smirked.

Xxx

"We have one Knightmare left transmitting an I.F.F. signal within the city area." Darlton reported.

"Can you contact it?"

"Scramble a rescue team."

"No, destroy it." Cornelia ordered.

"You can't!"

"He might be a captive of the enemy!" The Shinjuku officers protested.

"I ordered all troops to fall back. I have no use for soldiers who won't follow my orders." Cornelia coldly answered.

"You heard the Princess." Darlton said to the two officers.

"Do your duty even if it costs your life. My subordinates follow that code without question."

Xxx

"_What the hell?! Can't you read the IFF?! I'm on your side!_"

The man then opened fire as the three Gloucesters charged forward; leaping out of the way and Guilford skewered the Sutherland with his lance.

Lelouch watched as three Gloucesters destroyed N1 without hesitance or mercy.

"No confirmation. So Naruto was right." Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "N2, transmit IFF then fall back to the hospital ruins. R1, R2, open fire on attacking units only."

Xxx

"They're transmitting another IFF which means it's a trap. Send more Gloucesters and surround them." Darlton ordered.

Xxx

'Not pursuing?' Lelouch watched the way Gloucesters were moving. "R1, R2, fall back now."

Xxx

"Gloucesters have arrived at the position. No sign of the enemy."

"He anticipated my move. We may really be dealing with Zero." Cornelia smiled darkly.

Xxx

"Attention all Yamato members, abandon your Sutherlands and retreat." Lelouch said through the radio.

"_What?_"

"_We can win!_"

"_Like hell! There is no way we can beat Cornelia's Royal Guard. That's a death sentence. I'm out!_" The pilot pushed the eject switch in his cockpit.

"Cornelia's sending her Royal Guardsmen to finish us off, meaning she's taking us more seriously. Now she'll learn the power of my knights." Lelouch said confidently, falling back on his backup plan.

Xxx

"_Hey! We surrender! We won't resist! Spare us!_"

Cornelia narrowed her eyes. "Kill them."

Xxx

Lelouch narrowed his eyes in anger at how a few rebels ignored him like that, especially since he went through all the trouble to help them beat Cornelia.

'They've turned their backs on me all because they've scored just a few lucky shots!' Lelouch growled. 'Naruto was right again!'

He acknowledged that Naruto was good at strategy as a war advisor but he hated the fact that his original plan was falling apart.

Xxx

"Another unit destroyed Princess." Darlton reported as several rebel Sutherlands were already destroyed.

"They're falling for it so easily. Maybe we're not dealing with Zero." Cornelia frowned since the enemy was suddenly so easy to defeat.

They seemed to be doing so well and then suddenly it was hardly worth the effort at all. Did Zero suddenly give up and abandon the fight?

Xxx

Lelouch had to admit, if Naruto and C.C. had not forced him to stay and formulate a back-up plan(though they considered it the real plan) he would have been caught off guard. Gloucester Frames were superior to Sutherland Frames and they were most likely handpicked by Cornelia herself.

"Shinryoku, you ready?" Lelouch asked.

"_Finally. I've been getting bored. I see the Yamato Alliance refused your orders and abandoned you._"

Lelouch frowned as he watched them either try to flee, surrender, or futilely keep on fighting, only to be killed with no mercy. "Yes. It seems Seizan was right. If I had joined with the rest of the forces I would be next to Cornelia but without the rebels to create an opening I'd be trapped."

"_You see? There is a reason you keep us around._" C.C. teased.

Lelouch would have responded if his cell phone didn't start ringing. "Hm? I thought the party for the cat was tomorrow."

When he answered he was greeted with the sound of an unexpected voice. "_Hey Lelouch?_"

"Suzaku?"

"_We were discussing your relationships here and I need to ask do you like-_"

"_NO!_" Lelouch heard Shirley cry out and then the call ended.

Lelouch didn't know what was going on but he turned off the phone. He was too busy to be bothered like this.

"Time to start Phase Two."

Xxx

C.C. had been waiting patiently from her way point ever since she had split from Naruto and Lelouch. She had to applaud Naruto for even though he did not have Lelouch's intellect Naruto was capable of coming up with cunning plans on the fly during battle and his ability to come up with plans in the thick of battle and could even come up with back-up plans to such a degree that not even Lelouch could predict and have time to counter even without his powers. They had both realized Cornelia was setting a trap and they knew Lelouch would blunder right into it because the only thing matching his intellect was his ego. Naruto had even taken the precaution of sending Chomei to spy on Cornelia when he found out that Cornelia was looking for Zero and find out what she was up to, allowing him to come with a counter plan that even Lelouch wouldn't argue against.

'Not that Lelouch would admit that our plan was better. He doesn't like having to share plans or listen to someone else do the strategizing. His attitude is why his Geass allows him to make people obey his commands no matter what. Like mother, like son.' C.C. thought with a nostalgic smirk.

"_Shinryoku, three Gloucesters are approaching your position._" Lelouch informed her through the radio.

"Finally." C.C. said, eager to get started,

She spotted the three Gloucesters and was momentarily stunned by the arrogance of the pilots. They had nothing but golden lances for combat and they weren't even moving through the ghetto like soldiers. More like they were moving down the streets like they were part of a parade.

'Typical Britannian arrogance.' C.C. thought with an eager smirk.

Time to have some fun.

Xxx

"Has anything appeared on radar?" Guilford asked, becoming impatient.

Cornelia had given the order to destroy any Sutherlands transmitting an I.F.F. signal inside the Ghetto, considering them to be rebels that stole the Sutherlands and he had done just that but for some reason it was all too easy. Cornelia predicted Zero would order the terrorists to set up traps and ambushes but they had all been randomly attacking with no sense of planning or coordination. It either meant Zero never showed up or something else was going on.

"_Nothing yet sir._"

"_Maybe Zero ran for it when he saw us coming._" The other pilot suggested but changed his mind. "_Sir, unidentified Knightmare approaching from…Above us!_"

That was all the warning they had before a dark green and black Knightmare landed in between them, having jumped off the building they had been passing and slashed its violet fans down on the rear Gloucester of the group, forcing the pilot to eject before he consumed by the explosion. C.C. smirked as she spun around and launched all blades from her Harken Fans at the next Knightmare that pierced its body and caused it to explode from critical damage as the blades retracted.

"Damn you!" The third Gloucester charged forward with its golden lance pointed at Shinryoku's chest. "For Cornelia!"

However C.C. was not afraid. She waited until the very last second before jumping and spinning over the lance, activating her Wave Surger and sliced her Harken fans that glowed bright red from the activation of the radiation surge through the Gloucester's weapon, arm and then through the head, setting off sparks of electricity through the frame that forced the pilot to eject as the Gloucester exploded.

"Three down." C.C. spoke in satisfaction.

"_Good work. Several more of Cornelia's knights are on the way._"

"Now it's Naruto's turn."

Xxx

"Your Highness, we've just received reports of a dark green Knightmare taking three Gloucesters."

Cornelia narrowed her eyes. "A dark green Knightmare. It must be one of the two advanced Knightmares that helped Zero rescue Warrant Officer Kururugi. So, Zero's decided to take this seriously if he's brought out his ace pilots. Guilford, make sure you capture or kill the pilot. We can't have Zero keeping two advanced Knightmares but be on the lookout for the other one. We have intelligence that claims it can move underground somehow."

"_Yes, your majesty_."

Xxx

"_C.C., they're coming for you._"

"I see them." C.C. spotted three more Gloucesters coming towards her, moving at high speed towards her.

Guilford spotted the green Knightmare as it turned around and sped off. "Don't let it get away! All forces, the green Knightmare that works with Zero is moving to the center of the ghetto, move to intercept!"

Shinryoku sped through the Ghetto on its landspinners with Guilford pursuing her. C.C. spotted Gloucester came out of a corner and charged at her with its spear aimed forward.

"For Cornelia!" The pilot shouted.

"Hmph!" C.C. smirked.

Just as the spear came within striking distance Shinryoku jumped up, landing on the Gloucester's shoulder and leapt off, landing on the ground and quickly continued its run.

"It's fast." Guilford muttered. "And its reflexes are even faster than our Gloucesters. All forces converge on the enemy coordinates. Surround it before it escapes!"

Two more Gloucesters who had been with the one C.C. had just defeated quickly aimed their gatling guns and fired.

"Is that it?" C.C. asked as her Rinnegan flashed.

Shinryoku and held its fans in front of its body. To the shock of the two pilots, the bullets seemingly bounced off an invisible shield forming around the green Knightmare.

"What the-" The pilots gasped.

"Wave Surger activated**.**" C.C., using the radiant wave surger to block the bullets, smirked as she thrust forward and slashed Shinrokyu's fan through the two Gloucesters easily, the combination of chakra and radiant wave energy cutting and burning through the frames like a hot knife through butter.

Both pilots ejected in time as their frames exploded.

Xxx

'Naruto said that to rely on strangers, even if in a life or death situation is dangerous as they have no reason to trust me. And he was right, they went against my orders and recklessly charged forward all because they managed to take out a few enemies. Now all I have left is him and C.C. and luckily they both recognize the need for strategy even without my instructions. That's where he comes in.' Lelouch thought with a calculate look as Cornelia's forces were moving to cut Shinrokyu off. 'One of Zero's personal knights is a tempting target that she won't want to pass up.'

Lelouch had to chuckle. "Theatricality and deception, powerful agents against any opponent no matter how skilled they might be as Naruto claimed. They focus on the obvious threat and remain blind to the hidden one."

Xxx

C.C. watched as she made it out into a clearing with Gloucesters, all armed with golden lances with capes attached to their backs coming out and surrounding her. "All you boys chasing me. What a way to make a girl feel special."

"You are surrounded. Surrender now and you will be treated with mercy." Guilford stated.

"As tempting as that sounds, having enjoyed Britannian hospitality before I will have to decline. Of course, you can always surrender." C.C. calmly replied.

"You cannot hope to take us all on, no matter how skilled you are or how advanced your Knightmare is. There is too many of us and even if your partner is hiding underground we will know where he is the second he attacks from under the ground." Guilford had already told his men to beware of any shifts in the ground, remembering how blue Knightmare could somehow attack from underground.

"Oh yeah. We both know that the same trick never works twice." C.C. agreed as she smiled. "That's why we worked out some new ones."

A pair of black and blue hands sprouted from the ground and grabbed Shinrokyu's legs, pulling it down into the ground.

"What the-" Guilford was cut off as the ground cracked open underneath him and his men. "MOVE! IT"S A TRAP!"

The pilots hurried to eject the ground cracked open and the Knightmares fell into what looked like a large open chamber below. Guilford jumped up into the air and launched his Slash Harken towards to the nearest building to grapple up to and avoid falling in with the rest of the Knightmares.

"_Guilford, what's happening?!_" Cornelia shouted through the radio.

"The ground beneath us, it collapsed!" Guilford answered as he looked at the giant hole.

Both Shinryoku and Seizan stood in the field littered with wrecked and abandoned Knightmares with their pilots smirking in victory. The supports that kept the ground up were destroyed with just a few well placed explosives as Naruto pulled C.C. down and distracted them long enough to be caught completely by surprise.

"Cornelia may be a better tactician than Lelouch thought. However like Lelouch she has her share of arrogance. Twice the pride…" C.C. said with a satisfied grin.

"Double the fall." Naruto finished with a foxy smirk.

"Damn you!" Guilford shouted, angry that most of the Royal Guard had been taken out.

"Oh, one of them is still around?" C.C. asked, slightly surprised.

"Not for long." Naruto remarked.

Seizan leapt up and out of the hole, surprising Guilford as how high the Knightmare could jump and landed back on the pavement and then jumped after Guilford.

"You wish to challenge me yourself? Very well!" Guilford's landspinners propelled him towards the blue Knightmare as it pulled out a pair of violet kodachi.

Guilford immediately went for the killing blow but the blue Knightmare moved to the side and slashed both kodachi at Guilford who blocked with his lance. Both Knightmares struggled to push each other back with their landspinners letting loud screeching like sounds. Naruto pulled his kodachi back and spun out of the way as Guilford slashed his lance at where Seizan had been. Guilford fired his Slash Harkens which Naruto avoided and charged forward.

Guilford aimed his lance at Naruto's chest as he charged forward but Naruto had been counting on it. Just as the lance came forward Naruto launched his MVS daggers that passed Guilford under his arms where they dug into a building behind him. Naruto pushed the landspinners to the max as the cables pulled him forward and he leapt into the air, jumping over the lance and head butting Guilford, knocking him down as Naruto sailed over him and landed on top of a small building and turned to look down at Guilford's Gloucester as it managed to stand back up.

'This pilot, he's good.' Guilford grunted as he struggled to block the two swords.

'Not bad.' Naruto thought. 'These Royal Guards are obviously more skilled than average pilots.'

Xxx

"What happened?!" Cornelia bellowed as she stood up and saw that her entire Royal Guard except for Guilford had somehow been lost.

"The ground beneath Sir Guilford and his men suddenly collapsed. They all managed to eject before they fell in." Darlton answered, shocked that almost all members of the Honor Guard had been defeated and it the enemy made it look so easy. "They must have planted explosives in underground tunnels to knock structural support!"

"Zero…he predicted this! He knew I would think he was masquerading as one of us and set this up!" Cornelia growled.

She had thought Zero was just another terrorist to be caught or killed but he had proven to be a keen strategist. He must have set explosives underneath the Ghetto and had his ace pilot lure Guilford and his men to a single location. She couldn't believe she had been outmaneuvered and tricked so easily like this and to make it worse she had walked right into it without a second thought.

"Princess, we're picking up an incoming radio call from in the Ghetto."

"Where's it coming from?" Cornelia frowned.

"Unknown."

"Put it on."

The officer nodded and opened the channel. "_Princess Cornelia Li Britannia, I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time._"

"Zero." Cornelia gritted her teeth. "So you finally reveal yourself, coward."

"_Coward? That's a little uncalled for, considering your own cowardice actions?_"

"How dare you insult Princess Cornelia?!" Darlton shouted angrily, red in the face along with most of the bridge crew.

"_What else would I call the actions of a woman who ordered defenseless civilians, including entire families and children to be gunned down just to draw me out? You call yourself a warrior but you resort to the same despicable actions that earned Viceroy Clovis a bullet to his head._"

Cornelia growled. "And do you plan to do the same to me?"

"_I would if the situation calls for it but I'll settle for humiliating you and your Royal Guard. I have something to show you._"

"We're receiving a video link."

The screen showed Guilford's Gloucester fighting against a blue advanced Knightmare, the other Knightmare that appeared when Zero rescued Kururugi.

"_Watch as my Knight takes down yours._" Zero finished ominously as he cut the connection.

Xxx

'Looks like my Shadow Clone's got Cornelia's attention.' Naruto thought. 'Then it's time to end this.'

He channeled wind charka through his MVS kodachi as it slashed with Guildford's golden lance again, but this time it sliced through Guilford's lance.

"What?!" Guilford gasped as both blades sliced off his arms and stabbed through his Frame.

"I'd eject if I were you." Naruto remarked through the radio as chakra and radiant waves pulsed through the Gloucester, slowly overloading it from the inside. "Unless you want to go up in blaze of glory."

"_Guilford, eject!_" Cornelia shouted through the radio.

Guilford slammed down on the eject switch and his cockpit blasted its way out of the frame as it exploded.

"_Tell me, Cornelia,_" Zero said through the radio, everyone hearing him speak. "_Are you still sure you can win?_"

Xxx

"Get my Gloucester ready!" Cornelia turned to the door. "Zero has made a fool out of me and I will not let him get away with this!"

"I shall accompany you." Darlton moved to follow her.

"Zero's been sighted!"

They all turned around to see Zero, standing on top of a ruined building where he could see everything.

"So, he did have that type of personality." Cornelia smirked darkly.

"Capture him! Platoons three and five mount up!" Darlton shouted.

"Image detected. Target confirmed. All forces move out!"

Britannian infantry and Knightmares moved towards Zero but he spread his arms out, his cape fluttering like wings as he leapt backwards off the building. The building obscured him as he fell down into a manhole. Once he landed in the sewers he pulled out a detonator and pressed the button before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"What are the possibilities it's a trap?" Cornelia asked.

"It is highly possible. We don't know much about his character, other than that he's as dramatic as you believed, Viceroy." Darlton answered.

"Then there is no point going after him then." Cornelia scowled, angered that Zero had managed to outwit her.

"No, if he intentionally revealed himself to us he will most certainly have an escape route planned." Darlton answered.

"So self preservation trumps all, huh? Damn. We've lost over a dozen pilots ever if we destroyed the Yamato Alliance. But since Zero is gone there is little point in continuing the purge. Do a final sweep to ensure we got them all. Don't bother with civilian survivors." Cornelia ordered.

"Your highness, we're registering thermal detonations!"

Everyone watched as explosions rang through the ghetto, buildings collapsed and toppled over, ground cracked open and collapsed into underground tunnels, swallowing tanks, infantry, and Knightmares that couldn't move fast enough. An unstable building lost its standing and fell towards the G-1 Mobile Base.

"PRINCESS CORNELIA!" Jeremiah shouted as he and the Pure Bloods moved to try and help or rescue Cornelia.

However they were quickly cut off by collapsing buildings fell down in front of them, almost crushing them.

"DAMN!" Jeremiah swore. "We can't get anywhere like this! There must be explosives set all over the Ghetto!"

"But how? There's no way Zero or the terrorists could have known Cornelia's plan." Villetta wondered as she pulled her Sutherland back.

"ALL KNIGHTMARES TAKE EVASIVE ACTION AND MOVE THE G-1!" Cornelia shouted.

The G-1 managed to move out of the way as the building hit the ground but it created a powerful seismic quake that caused pilots to eject from their Knightmares and shook the G-1 base badly enough that everyone was knocked off their feet and computers to short circuit as the impact damaged instruments all over the bridge and left cracks running down the windows but none of them broke. The bridge crew groaned when the shaking finally ended and if they looked out the window they would have seen the entire ghetto completely destroyed and their forces along with it.

Darlton ran over to help Cornelia stand. "Are you all right, milady?"

"I am fine…" Cornelia gritted her teeth as she looked at the devastated battle field. "Zero, you'll pay for this."

Zero had not only defeated her forces he outwitted her, humiliated her on the battlefield by pretending to fall for her plans but instead was waiting for her to fall into _his_ trap.

Xxx

"She's vulnerable now! Seizan, Shinryoku, move in and capture her!" Lelouch said, seeing Cornelia's forces in disarray.

The ghetto was already unstable due to the poor condition it's been kept in and with all of the explosives they had set all over the place it was easy to cause buildings to collapse, roads to crack open up and swallow up enemy infantry and units that were not quick enough to move and sew chaos amongst the enemy ranks.

"_We see it._" Naruto replied.

Xxx

The G-1 bridge was littered with shouting, crackling radios, and cries for help as Cornelia managed to sit back on her throne. Her hands were shaking with shock and rage at how easily she had been outmaneuvered and outwitted by a simple terrorist.

'I underestimated you, Zero. I thought you were a mere terrorist but you knew that and you used it against me. That will not happen again.' Cornelia thought darkly.

"We need to retreat. We should pull back!"

"No! We will be sitting ducks if we do that. The G-1 is too big to maneuver."

"Viceroy-" The man was cut off as the bridge shook and the sound of an explosion boomed outside the G-1.

"What was that?!" Cornelia stood up, seeing the explosion so close.

There was another explosion that shook the G-1 and caused sparks to fly out of the broken consoles across the bridge.

"Contact the standby aircraft and tell them to launch! I want this ghetto removed from my sight!" Cornelia shouted, gripping her chair tightly to not fall off and out of fury.

"You heard her Highness! Initiate air-" Darlton was cut off as two large dark figures landed in front of the G-1.

Cornelia recognized them immediately. "Those are-"

The two advanced Knightmares that had been with Zero when he rescued Suzaku Kururugi from the Pure Bloods staring down at her with what looked to be ringed eyes.

"_Can you hear us, Princess Cornelia?_" A male voice came from the blue Knightmare. "_Those explosions you heard were us destroying the turrets of your base, leaving you defenseless with no reinforcements from your army coming to save you._"

"So this was Zero's plan." Cornelia muttered, realizing what had happened.

Zero predicted she would send her forces after one of his ace Knightmares so he set up the explosives all over the ghetto and waited for the right time to detonate and scatter her forces, leaving her wide open.

"_You have two choices now: you can fight and we will destroy the base with you and your subordinates in it or you surrender now and consider yourself a prisoner._" The pilot of the blue Knightmare continued as it reached out with one hand and easily broke the front glass of the bridge.

Everyone covered their eyes as glass shards flew everywhere and when they opened them they saw the Knightmare's hand extended out, as if to take a hand despite its large size.

"_This is one a time offer and it expires in ten seconds._"

"Damn you." Cornelia gritted her teeth.

Is this it? Does she sacrifice herself and her subordinates for the sake of her pride? Or does she surrender and save everyone who has survived?

She moved to open her mouth and say-

"PRINCESS CORNELIA!"

The two Knightmares jumped back as bullets sailed through the air where they had been but missing the G-1 to avoid friendly fire and causing all the breath from Cornelia's lungs to fly out of her mouth. A single Sutherland wheeled forward, shooting at the two Knightmares.

"_Where are you, Zero?! Show yourself you coward_!" Jeremiah shouted as he continued firing.

"That was unexpected." Naruto commented as he dodged the bullets and spotted new icons on his tactical map. "And there's an air strike on the way."

"And we were so close." C.C. sighed, not angry at being interrupted but she was disappointed all the same as who likes being interrupted when they were so close to victory?

They could take out Jeremiah and his forces right now and finish off Cornelia but they'd be open to the airships already dropping bombs on the Ghetto and would have to move fast or show off more of their abilities to survive. The best option for now was to retreat.

"_Consider yourself lucky, Cornelia as if it wasn't for these guys saving you things would have been very different._" Naruto called out through Seizan's speakers as the two Knightmares retreated back into the Ghetto.

"_Come back here_!" Jeremiah shouted as he chased after them.

Seizan and Shinryoku quickly wheeled back and moved behind a knocked over building.

Jeremiah wheeled around the corner to pursue them but when he did he saw they were gone. "What?! Where did they go? How could they move that fast?"

"_Lord Jeremiah_!" Villetta along with the rest of the Purist Faction came onto the scene. "_Are you all right?_"

"I'm fine. We must protect the princess. Spread out and form a perimeter around the G-1." Jeremiah quickly ordered.

He wanted to pursue the two advanced Knightmares that worked with Zero but Princess Cornelia's safety came before all else. Jeremiah Gottwald would be damned if he let someone else from royalty die on his watch.

Cornelia fell back on her chair causing Darlton to run up to her. "Princess Cornelia, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Cornelia said, taking a deep breath. "Call back all our surviving forces and send out search parties for anyone who has ejected."

"At once your Majesty." Darlton bowed his head.

'That was too close…I kept the Pure Bloods at the back to keep them out of the way but if not for them I would either be dead or a prisoner right now.' Cornelia thought over her defeat. 'Zero didn't think Jeremiah would be here to save me at the last second and that was the only reason I'm still here.'

Defeat.

For the first time in her military career she had suffered a true defeat with only a hint of luck that saved her this day. From this day forward, Cornelia vowed she would not underestimate Zero again and she would make him pay for this humiliation.

She swore on her title as Princess of Britannia.

Xxx

Lelouch tossed the helmet of his stolen uniform as he walked through the sewers, waiting for his two companions. He had taken the chance brought by the diversion that Naruto had set up to escape his Sutherland while no one was looking. He should be happy that he won today but truthfully he annoyed how his original plan failed all because the Yamato Alliance lacked strategy and common sense to do anything right along with the fact that his two knights hadn't managed to capture Cornelia.

"Well, you seem happy."

Lelouch spotted Naruto and C.C. coming out of the shadows, wearing their ANBU armor, cloaks with the hoods down, and the animal masks removed to show their faces. C.C. had a calm look while Naruto had a slight scowl on his face.

"You were right about the Yamato Alliance. They abandoned me as soon as one or two died and refused to retreat with the rest of the civilians when I told them to." Lelouch said with a frown, annoyed that his original plan(in his mind) did not work.

"I did say it's a bad idea to play with strangers." C.C. shook her head. "Your pride will be the end of you one day."

"I would have found a way to capture her if I had the time." Lelouch argued stubbornly. "And you two failed to capture Cornelia."

"This is why I told you to not treat war like a game. Acting like a simple tactician is not going to be enough, especially with the kind of odds you face. No one can predict the outcome of a battle even when you plan for all the expected outcomes." Naruto leaned against the wall and folded his arms. "You can't give orders and expect them to follow you, not unless you intend to rely on only your Geass. You need to control not just one side but the entire battlefield, deciding when and where the battle takes place. You need subordinates you can trust to follow you and more importantly you need to know what they can do and for them to trust you."

Lelouch scowled. "Very well. That was what I will do then. I'll raise an army that can't lose to Britannia, a People, a Nation!" He tossed his military uniform aside as he changed into his Zero outfit. "I take it that you managed to evacuate all the civilians."

"Almost all of them. The perks of a having a dozen Shadow Clones." Naruto smirked. "And they all wish to thank Zero."

"I see." Lelouch put the mask on. "I guess I cannot disappoint them."

He followed Naruto and C.C. through the tunnel and into a subway where all the civilian survivors were waiting.

"Look, its Zero!"

"Zero saved us!"

"Is it really him?"

"My dear Japanese, have no fear for I Zero have come to lead you all to safety!" Lelouch declared in a loud voice. "My personal Knights have secured a safe way out of the Ghetto and have located several suitable hideouts in Shinjuku with plenty of food, medicine and beds for your old, injured, and young to rest."

This worked better for him since he would gain more support from the Japanese for saving such a large number of them today.

Xxx

_Flashback_

_"Cornelia's repeating what happened in Shinjuku to draw out Zero. That means she hopes to catch you in a trap." Naruto stated, sitting at a table with Lelouch and C.C. as they discussed the plan. "I've seen this before. Study the enemy's tactics and then repeat it, take advantage of any ego the enemy's got and trap them."_

_"And you believe that's what Cornelia's doing? She thinks I'll steal a Sutherland for myself and the rebels to give them a fighting chance." Lelouch stated, figuring what Naruto was trying to say._

_"She'll even leave herself open as bait, sweetening the pot." Naruto answered. "Everyone knows the same plan won't work, especially in a trap this obvious."_

_"So what do you suggest?" Lelouch asked, wondering what plan Naruto had come up with._

_"Make her think she's caught Zero in the trap then spring a trap on her." Naruto grinned, looking more and more like a fox._

_End Flashback_

Xxx

'Making Cornelia think Zero had stolen a Sutherland for himself and several for the rebels like in Shinjuku, then when Cornelia called out her Royal Guard to attack any Sutherlands that didn't retreat from the Ghetto as she ordered, considering them rebels without confirmation, and then baiting her forces with one of Zero's Aces to lure them all into a trap which takes them all out of the battle in one quick move. Then to cover Zero's apparent retreat all the bombs Naruto and C.C.'s Shadow Clones placed around the Ghetto detonate, throwing Cornelia into disarray and leaving her wide open. It would have been more satisfying to capture Cornelia herself but at least this was not a total loss.' Lelouch thought as he remembered the plan. 'Of course I should have expected Cornelia to have an air strike ready or that Jeremiah and the Pure Bloods would move as soon as Cornelia was disorganized. They might have been disgraced but they were not down.'

Naruto surprised him this time as the blond easily came up with a counter plan in such a short amount of time. Now Zero was a hero to the people and Viceroy Cornelia, the Witch of Britannia and the Goddess of Victory was defeated and humiliated in her first battle against Zero.

Xxx

"And just like that, Zero survives his first real battle." Rakshata remarked with a grin as she twirled her smoke pipe, having watched the battle through her shared vision with Naruto and C.C. "And you made a show out of taking down Princess Cornelia li Britannia's Royal Guard while you were at it."

"_Yep. Of course, if little Zero didn't have us around he would have lost. His inexperience in battle causes him to treat it like chess, believing everyone would follow him if he gave them a few big toys._" Naruto answered from Rakshata's laptop.

"Little boys playing such big toys." Rakshata chuckled. "And they abandon ship at the very moment of trouble, like rats."

"_Of course, now Lelouch will start building up an army. He'll probably start with those terrorists he helped in Shinjuku but he'll need resources._" C.C. brought up.

"Why not use the Ashford family? They used to design and build Knightmares before they were stripped of their nobility. It wouldn't be surprising if they kept some kind of warehouse to store their old equipment." Rakshata offered with a smirk. "Perhaps you could convince them to hand over the Ganymede. The Knightmare piloted by a Knight of the Round would be very interesting to look at."

"_Zero does the recruiting…_" Naruto started.

"_And we find the material to give them everything they need._" C.C. finished.

"Of course, I'm tempted to add my own in on this." Rakshata said, smirking as she inhaled from her pipe. "I've already drawn up plans for countering Lloyd's new toy."

"_For us? I thought we were more than a match for it._" Naruto commented.

"For you, yes. But I wouldn't have my reputation if I designed the best Knightmares only for you two." Rakshata answered. "In fact…That red haired girl, you told me she'd be an excellent pilot if she had a real Knightmare."

"_Does this mean…"_ Naruto asked with a small smirk.

"Yep. I've already designed the perfect one for her and it's being shipped to Japan through the Six Houses of Kyoto." Rakshata chuckled.

"_They must be testing the waters, seeing if Zero is as big as he claims._" C.C. commented. "_They'll offer more support if we can prove to beat Britannia back._"

"_Knowing Lelouch he won't wait long for that. Hopefully this present you have for us makes it here soon, Rakshata-chan._" Naruto said.

"It's not my fault. You haven't taught me that summoning move you did yet." Rakshata pouted. "I really need to learn that move. I've been too busy studying up on Tsunade Senju's notes and learning how to use Iyro jutsu."

"_Really? You've been reading Baa-chan's scrolls?_" Naruto asked.

"Yep. In addition to being the best Knightmare designer in the world, I Rakshata Chawla will take Tsunade Senju's title of greatest Iryo-nin in this world." Rakshata declared with a confident smile.

"_Well, good luck with that Rakshata-chan. Just don't pick up Granny Tsunade's habit of drinking._" Naruto chuckled.

"No problem. I got this." Rakshata took another breath from her pipe and exhaled smoke from her mouth. "Drinking only stops my beautiful mind from designing more beautiful children."

"_We'll hold you to that._" C.C. said as she cut the connection.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

When the Third Princess of the Britannian Empire finished her paper work she was excited to hear her sister was coming back and quickly had dinner prepared. She expected to hear Cornelia speaking of how she single handily took down another resistance group and probably captured Zero. However when dinner was served Euphie was understandably cautious as she noticed an aura of anger surrounding her older sister as she stabbed the meatloaf with her knife very aggressively while her left eye twitched. Euphie was a little worried as she tried to think of what could have angered her sister so much.

The room they were dining in was actually the dining room Clovis usually ate in, decorated with his preferred paintings, expansive furniture and carpets and curtains that were colored royal purple lined with gold. Euphie didn't make any changes to it, preferring to keep her brother's possessions where they were while Cornelia didn't give a damn. Euphie tried to list in her head what could have angered her sister so much without actually asking her but that list was actually a little long as it could have ranged from someone spilling wine on her to the battle being lost.

Finally Euphie couldn't help it. "Sister? Are you all right?"

Cornelia's shot up from her meal and Euphie almost instinctively hid under the table. When she saw much she was scaring her younger sister Cornelia softened her gaze, feeling awful for scaring Euphie like that.

"I heard you destroyed the terrorists in the Saitama Ghetto. Another battle won." Euphie cautiously said.

"The battle was won…but I didn't win." Cornelia answered as she glanced to the wall in a solemn tone.

"Huh?" Euphie asked, wondering how that was possible.

The only time Cornelia had ever lost was in a chess game with Schneizel or Lelouch but she never lost a battle before.

"But the news reports-" Euphie remembered the reports.

"They covered up everything that happened except for what happened to the terrorists. I predicted Zero would come to capture me and I was right. I planned to bait him but Zero somehow predicted I would do that, he saw right through me and played along until I fell into _his_ trap." Cornelia narrowed her eyes in rage as she went over the battle and every mistake she made. "He captured several Sutherlands for the rebels like I predicted but instead of using them to attack my forces he baited me with one of his ace pilots, the green Knightmare that helped in Warrant Officer Kururugi's rescue and lured my Royal Guard to an area where he set up explosives on the support beams and caused my men to fall into a chasm below with Guilford being the only one to escape."

Cornelia tightened her grip on her glass of wine.

"Then he contacted me and showed me his blue Knightmare defeating and almost killing Guilford if he hadn't ejected in time. Then the bastard showed himself to me and when I thought I had him he tricked me again, setting off explosions all around the Ghetto, scattering my forces and leaving me wide open. His two aces easily made it to the mobile fortress and if not for Jeremiah and the Pure Bloods of all people I would have been dead or captured." A crack appeared in the glass as Cornelia began losing control. "If not for that one unexpected variable the battle would have ended in his victory!"

She slammed her fists down on the table as she released a gasp of air, working to calm herself down. She looked up and saw Euphie looking scared with her hand over her mouth. Cornelia quickly worked to calm herself down, knowing her little sister was concerned for her and not actually scared of her.

Cornelia would never forgive herself if she terrified her sister.

"I live by the creed that war is a struggle between life and pride and Zero effectively used my pride against me…" Cornelia sighed sadly as she leaned back against her chair.

"Sister." Euphie commented sadly.

"Never mind…Let's just get some ice cream." Cornelia shook her head. "I'll be having a meeting in the morning and I don't want to feel like this when I go to sleep."

"Perhaps you need a nice warm bath." Euphie suddenly smiled cheerfully as her eyes light. "We haven't bathed together since we were kids."

"Euphie…" Cornelia smiled, happy to see her sister trying to make her feel better. "Yes. Why not?"

Xxx

"Excuse me?"

Ruben K. Ashford looked up see the student, Tsunade peeking her head through the open door. "Ah, Miss Senju. Can I help you?"

"Well sir," Tsunade walked in and closed the door. "There is something I important I need to ask you."

"And what is that?" Ruben asked with a smile.

Tsunade smiled. "I'd like to talk to you about your family's previous occupation."

Xxx

"So this is the place." Naruto said as he followed C.C. into the large warehouse.

The moon shined down on them as they looked at the building they had been looking for. It was a former weapons factory designed to produce equipment for Knightmares owned by the Ashford family but they lost interest after the death of Marianne Vi Britannia and lack of support from the Britannian military. Inside they could see mechanical arms holding different tools lining the ceiling with assembly docks, conveyor belts, even Knightmare simulators to help trainee pilots gain the experience they would need.

But that was not the best thing they saw.

Over thirty Knightmares lined the interior of the room, looking entirely brand new. They resembled Sutherlands but were colored dark blue and the armor was more bulky. The eyes of each Knightmare were dark green, the head resembling a Roman Centurion's helmet with a Factsphere Sensor that was smaller than ones on the Sutherland model. The Knightmares had two chest mounted slash harkens and a single cannon attached to the right arms and a large shield on the left arms.

"Yep. This is where the Ashford family stored what was left the Knightmares and weapons they built before they lost their nobility." C.C. nodded. "And by the looks of it these are the latest Knightmare models that had been building before they lost their nobility. Principal Ashford explained this model was meant to keep compete against the Sutherland, equipped with thicker armor that could handle assault rifles and bazookas. Ruben called this model Knightmare the Oberon."

"And to think they lost their nobility just because the Empress they supported was killed." Naruto shook his head. "That jackass of an Emperor is a real piece of work."

"Despite his selfishness Charles most likely did it because of V.V. tracking down and killing anyone associated with Marianne."C.C. said as she made a few hand signs and instantly the factory was shrouded in a genjutsu to better hide the factory for when they start using it.

"A good place to set up shop. It can hold over a dozen Knightmares." Naruto smirked at how large the old factory was. "Lelouch won't complain when he sees what we found. Now the bosses can rest easily tonight."

"Yes…They can." The C.C. Shadow Clone grabbed the Naruto Shadow Clone and started making out with him.

When they vanished in a puff of smoke after an hour both Naruto and C.C. got their memories which made them up for another round.

Xxx

"Viceroy, we've concluded that over forty percent of our forces were lost with fifty percent of our Sutherland and Gloucesters destroyed without casualties." The speaker said, looking through the report. "Per you instructions we made a full investigation and we've concluded that the demolition charges had been placed in various unstable structures throughout the Ghetto, including support beams leaning the area where Lord Guilford and his forces had pursued the green Knightmare. All pilots have reported to have serious injuries but they are all stable and are expected to make a full recovery however they will be out of commission for some time. It is currently unknown how the terrorists were able to place the charges or how they had been able to prepare. We've also discovered a series of tunnels leading out of the Ghetto that is likely how the missing civilian population managed to escape and how Zero's forces managed to sneak in and attack our infantry."

'So Zero had likely prepared these tunnels to evacuate the Elevens from the Ghetto, meaning he knew we were coming. Meaning,' Cornelia thought darkly. 'There is a spy in our midst.'

"Pardon me, but if Zero planned this why didn't he wait for Cornelia to enter the battlefield and then attack her?" A noble spoke up.

"Because he wanted to capture me alive, you fool." Cornelia sneered at the man for asking such a stupid question.

"Yes and that would leave Princess Euphemia as the Viceroy." Darlton spoke up, making Euphemia flinch uncomfortably. "Zero could use her majesty to attempt to make any demands."

"Yes. Our plan to capture Zero backfired which I accept full responsibility for. I underestimated Zero, labelling him as an overconfident terrorist who just got lucky but now I see he's capable for forming complex strategies and his two ace pilots are dangerous in their own right. Therefore I am ordering the manufacturing plants to replace our lost Knightmare Frames with a request for new pilots to be brought in at the earliest convenient time from any reserves from other Areas and that all information coming out of Saitama to be repressed. We cannot allow the Elevens to know of Zero's victory that will surely inspire them to join him in his rebellion which I will not tolerate." Cornelia glared darkly at everyone in the room except for Darlton, Guilford, and Euphemia. "Meeting adjourned."

She stood up from her room and stomped out with anyone who was smart quickly getting out of her way before suffering her wrath.

Xxx

Jeremiah Gottwald had to fight the urge to gulp as he and Villetta waited outside Cornelia's office, having been summoned by the Princess herself. He wondered if this was it and he was being sent back to the Homeland with his military career finished.

"Try to calm down, sir. I'm sure it's nothing." Villetta offered as a form of comfort.

"If it was I wouldn't be summoned here." Jeremiah answered as the door opened.

"Gottwald, the Viceroy will see you now." Guilford stated.

Jeremiah quickly followed Guilford into the officer where Cornelia was waiting at her desk, looking through several documents before looking at him with her usual calm, regal look but always managed to invoke fear in most who were caught in her sight.

"Princess Cornelia." Jeremiah bowed.

"Lord Jeremiah." Cornelia greeted, her calm and regal face staring at the former leader of the Pure Blood faction. "It seems I owe you an apology."

"An…an apology?" Jeremiah was stunned.

Of all the things he expected her to say this was the last.

"During the battle Zero managed to outmaneuver and trick me and if it wasn't for your timely intervention I would likely have been captured or killed. It was my decision to hold the Purist faction back because of what happened during the rescue of Warrant Officer Kururugi and the recent rumors regarding Orange." Cornelia ignored Jeremiah flinching at the nickname he had been labelled by his humiliation. "However because I underestimated Zero my pride cost me the battle and almost the lives of myself and my subordinates." Cornelia leaned forward with a stern look on her features. "I'll make this simple and clear, Lord Jeremiah. I don't know exactly what happened at Warrant Officer Kururugi's trial or why you seem unable to remember helping Zero escape but I owe you for saving my life and I see your loyalty seems genuine for if you were traitor you wouldn't have stopped Zero's Knightmares from taking me."

"Thank you, My Lady." Jeremiah bowed his head again, truly grateful for Cornelia seemingly believing him.

"That being said it's clear to me now that Zero's more dangerous than we first thought and that it's possible he has spies in the government running Area Eleven." Cornelia continued as if Jeremiah had never spoken. "It's the only explanation of how he predicted what would happened at the Saitama Ghetto and how easily he outsmarted our forces. That being said if we are to make any headway into stopping him we need to identify who in the government is working for Zero immediately."

"What would you have me do, my lady?" Jeremiah asked.

"As the leader of the Purist faction you have had the highest amount of influence in Area Eleven, second only to my brother. I want you to start conducting investigations into who might be working for Zero and find out how he's been gaining vital information." Cornelia answered, sitting back against her chair and making sure Jeremiah understood his mission perfectly. "This mission is to be only shared with those you trust and no one else."

"Of course my lady." Jeremiah bowed again with a smile.

Perhaps he was not as finished as he thought.

"There is also something else I have discovered." Cornelia continued. "I looked into your records and discovered something."

"Yes, my Lady?" Jeremiah asked, wondering if he jinxed himself.

"I discovered that you were a guard at Aries Villa." Cornelia stated, her face looking calm but her eyes seemed to pierce his very being.

Jeremiah's blood froze at the mention of that place. "Y-Yes your Highness."

"According to your record you were a part of Empress Marianne Vi Britannia's Honor Guard." Cornelia continued as if she hadn't noticed the effect mentioning that place had on the man.

She herself had to suppress the feelings of anger, sadness, and remorse when she brought it up.

"I was, your Highness and I considered it a personal failure of mine for not being there to protect Lady Marianne and her children." Jeremiah bowed his head in shame.

'You're not the only one.' Cornelia thought but continued. "What do you make of what happened the night Lady Marianne was assassinated?"

"I…I'm not sure what to make of it, your Highness. It was said to be the work of terrorists but Lady Marianne for some strange reason dismissing her guard…" Jeremiah clenched his fist. "I don't understand why she would do such a thing."

Cornelia nodded grimly. "Why did you transfer to Area Eleven?"

Jeremiah straightened himself. "After Lady Marianne's death I couldn't…focus on my duties in the homeland and thus I transferred here, creating the Pure Bloods as a way to honor Lady Marianne as she was a commoner but she was honored as a member of the Knights of the Round and even became a consort to the Emperor. The other reason is…" Jeremiah looked to the ground for a second as he fought the sadness, anger and shame that threatened to reveal itself. "To punish the Elevens for killing her children."

"I see." Cornelia spoke, understanding this man. "Very well. I spoke to you myself to see what kind of man you are, Jeremiah Gottwald and I can see that despite what happened with officer Kururugi you appear to be loyal to the crown. Thus I leave it to you to find the people that Zero has working for him in the government."

"Yes, Your Highness." Jeremiah bowed again, his fists tightening themselves to the point he might break his hand.

He would not fail again.

Xxx

"Oh this is so exciting." Shirley looked out the window with a big smile. "I can't believe we're going to spend the weekend at the Lake Kawaguchi Hotel. I've never left the Tokyo Settlement before. This is so exciting."

She along with Milly and Nina were sitting in a compartment of a train, taking a short vacation from the Academy.

"Where are Naruto and Tsunade?" Shirley sat back down in her seat.

"Oh, they had their own compartment which I think made them very happy so as long as no one interrupts them consummating their relation-" Milly started with a devious smile.

"MILLY!" Shirley shouted as she and Nina turned tomato red.

"Oh come on. It's not like no one was thinking it." Milly commented.

"That's private and we shouldn't gossip about it!" Shirley exclaimed.

"Oh, Shirley you are such a prude." Milly sat back on her seat. "It's too bad Kallen was feeling ill, Suzaku and Rivalz had to work and who knows what Lelouch is doing."

"You don't think Kallen and Lelouch are meeting in secret do you?" Shirley worriedly asked.

"Maybe. You did hear what Rivalz told Naruto and Tsunade." Milly grinned mischievously.

"Those were just rumors!" Shirley denied.

"Oh, I'm so sure." Milly giggled.

The train passed through a tunnel causing Nina to flinch.

"Nina, it's all right." Milly said soothingly as she knelt down in front of the girl. "There are a lot of Britannian tourists at Lake Kawaguchi so security is fine. Don't be afraid, it's not the ghettos. We will be with you the whole time; we won't leave your side for a second."

"Th-thanks." Nina answered with a small smile.

Across from the compartment Naruto and C.C. had been relaxing together. Naruto wore blue jeans, a white T-shirt with a black a red jacket while C.C. wore black jeans, a black shirt with a green jacket.

They had been relaxing until they looked at the hotel as Naruto sighed. "Great. I thought I was going on vacation."

"What is it?" C.C. asked, sensing something wrong.

"I sense a large amount of hostile emotions from the hotel. There are dangerous people there." Naruto answered.

"Hmm." C.C. frowned.

She wanted a vacation just as much as Naruto did and time away from Lelouch since he was busy gathering up his army. He didn't need them for that so he didn't put up a fuss when they told him they were joining Milly, Shirley, and Nina on the trip.

Xxx

Ohgi, Kallen, and the rest of their group gasped as they walked into the mobile base in the garage where Zero said he would meet them.

"What are you waiting for? Come on in." Zero called from the couch. "As of now this place will be our new hideout."

The rebel group was in awe of the luxurious interior and wondered how Zero got his hands on it.

"So you think joining up with us is a good idea?" Ohgi asked as the group started bring their stuff in.

He wondered why someone like Zero who had two advanced Knightmares and who could afford something like this would work with a group like them.

"Of course. We are comrades now." Zero answered kindly.

"So where are those knights of yours? Seizan and Shinryoku?" Kallen asked.

"I gave them the day off. Even resistance fighters need a break and this day will be just setting up our base and working on resources." Zero answered.

Xxx

Naruto and C.C. were in their room, making out on the one bed in the room when the door was busted down.

"You! You two Britannian dogs! Get up!" The two Japanese soldiers pointed their guns at them.

"Could you please leave? You're interrupting my special hour." C.C. drawled as she pulled away from Naruto.

"I said get up or we'll kill you both." The soldier growled.

"They are quite rude, aren't they dear?" Naruto asked with a foxy smirk as they stood up.

"Why yes, they are very rude, darling." C.C. answered as she showed her mischievous grin.

"Get your hands and follow us you Britannian dogs." The soldiers both removed the safety from their rifles.

"Certainly officers. But first…" As Naruto put his hands above his head he and C.C. dropped their henge to reveal their Rinnegan eyes.

"What the-"

"**Bansho Ten'in**."

The soldiers were pulled towards them and C.C. grabbed them, putting a hand on each head.

"They've taken hostages and they plan to kill them and everyone here to make a point." C.C. said with a cold look on her face.

The soldiers had no chance as the power of the Human Path removed their souls from their bodies and from the world of the living.

Xxx

"Holy cow, so what is this? Huh?"

"Hey, there's a second floor too."

"Do you mind if I asked how you came by this?" Ohgi asked.

"I burrowed it from a rather libertine nobleman who indulges my requests." Zero answered.

"You mean you used that power, your Geass?" Kallen asked, sounding uncertain.

The power Zero mentioned before still made her feel nervous even though he assured them that he could only control them through eye contact. Some of them were sickened by the idea of controlling someone against their will as it was just as bad as killing defenceless civilians. At the very least they were relieved that Zero only used his power for a good cause and he wore his mask so he wouldn't control any of his allies.

"I did and I made sure it couldn't be traced back to any of us." Zero nodded.

He could see that everyone was still wrapping their minds around the idea that Zero had a power that could allow him to make anyone do anything he wanted.

"You have to admit. No would ever expect us in something like this." Kallen conceded, thankfully changing the subject.

"There's even a TV here." Minami found the remote and turned the TV on.

"There's a TV too?!" Tamaki laughed eagerly.

Everyone stopped as a breaking new report appeared on screen.

"_I'm here in front of the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel. The hotel-jackers have identified themselves as the Japanese Liberation Front. Members of the Sakuradite Allocation Meeting, most notably, Chairman James, were taken hostage as well as several tourists and hotel employees._"

The TV showed an image of the hostages.

"_This footage was sent by the perpetrators; in it, you can clearly see Chairman James, including some students."_

When Kallen looked at the TV she saw several familiar people and gasped. "From the Student Council!"

_"The leader of the group claims to be Lieutenant-Colonel Kusakabe of the now defunct Japanese Military. _

Xxx

At the Japanese Liberation Front headquarters Tohdoh slammed his hand onto his knee. "That imbecile!"

Xxx

_"Sakuradite, an essential component in the manufacture of high-temperature super conductors, is a vital strategic resource that directly affects world security. Area Eleven is the largest producer of this material, providing seventy percent of the world's total supply. _

Xxx

"I am Kusakabe of the Japanese Liberation Front." The commanding officer introduced himself to the hostages as he held his sword. "We are making this stand for Japan and our countryman. Even though you are not soldiers you are still Britannians and our oppressors."

Nina was shivering in fright as Milly held her close.

"Sit still, be quiet and you won't be harmed." Kusakabe left the room while the other soldiers kept a close eye on the hostages.

"Lulu." Shirley whispered fearfully.

Xxx

_Here at the yearly national meeting of Sakuradite producers, it will be determined how this resource will be distributed among the world's nations. It's no exaggeration to say the outcome determines the balance of global power between Britannia and out countries. It is believed that the terrorists are using world interest in the annual gathering to their advantage by carrying out this violent hotel takeover._"

"So they made their move."

"They're easily the biggest anti-Britannian group here in Japan and now their pride is hurt."

"Because of us?"

"Maybe."

"I don't whether to be happy or sad about that, because they're all going to end up dead."

Zero looked down his phone as it vibrated. 'Rivalz…'

Xxx

Rivalz waited anxiously at the bar counter for Lelouch to answer, wondering if he's heard of the hostage situation. "Lelouch, I-"

"_This is Lelouch. Please leave a message after the beep._"

BEEP!

"What the hell's he doing at a time like this?!" Rivalz threw his phone onto the floor.

Xxx

"I know. But…Those two…" Lelouch muttered, knowing that Naruto and C.C. went there but they didn't appear to be captured with the rest of the hostages. 'If they haven't been captured they are no doubt already working on a way to rescue the other hostages.'

Unlike Lelouch, Naruto concentrated on rescuing the civilians first in any battle before going after the enemy while C.C. usually helped or agreed with him for reasons Lelouch suspected was part of their contract. Despite the fact that Naruto usually preferred action first he was capable of making surprisingly complex plans on the fly in the middle of battle that even Lelouch had to respect. He knew that both of them would be fine but that was not the same for the hostages.

'I have no way of contacting them at the moment so I can't coordinate with them on whatever they might be planning. I'll just have to leave them to their planning until I come up with something.'

Minami turned the TV off. "There's no point in watching any further. We all know how it's going to end."

"Come on, we better get everything unpacked." Ohgi said, eager to change the subject.

"I'll leave it to you." Zero stood up. "I have some things to check out."

Kallen watched him as he walked up the stairs.

Xxx

"All bridges connecting to the hotel with the exception of the main have been destroyed. Our attempted approaches from the air and water have been unsuccessful. There is only one route left that will allow us to develop a possible hostage rescue plan. The main utilities tunnel running directly beneath the convention center hotel. Basically we should go in through this route, destroy the foundation block and submerge the hotel." A general explained to Cornelia and the rest of the war council. "Since the tunnel was built to handle supply delivery, it should be able to accompany Sutherlands. Even if the enemy had taken precautions it should be no problem. They have been using substandard weaponry, so they should have no trouble evading them."

Xxx

Three Sutherlands traveled through the tunnel towards the end where the pilots could travel up to get into the hotel.

"Enemy detected. As expected they're moving through the underground tunnel." A JLF solider reported.

"Roger that. Raiko secondary start up, both quad linkage legs locked. Super electromagnetic shrapnel voltage confirmed." The commanding solider said as they aimed a giant cannon at the approaching Sutherlands.

"_I think these guys have Knightmare rifles. Spread out and break their ranks._" The pilot in the lead Sutherland said.

"Super electromagnetic shrapnel cannon, fire!" The Commanding JLF soldier shouted.

The giant cannon released a single fast moving bullet that opened and released multiple smaller bullets that flew down the tunnel even faster.

"_What?!_" The Britannian pilots screamed as they obliterated.

Xxx

"In one shot!" A soldier next to Kusakabe yelled in sheer jubilation.

"It worked!"

"_The Raiko was a complete success._"

"What do you think of that Britannian pigs?" Kusakabe smirked.

Xxx

"Wiped out?!" Darlton shouted.

"Yes. It seems as though they modified some Glasgows into a linear cannon." An advisor reported.

Cornelia gritted her teeth as she listened to the reports.

"What do we do now? If we release the political hostages they demanded-"

"We cannot show weakness to terrorists!" Cornelia shouted, glaring at the advisor for suggesting such a thing.

"But milady…" Guilford leaned and whispered in her ear. "Princess Euphemia."

"Yes I know. Believe me I know." Cornelia whispered back, struggling to keep her regal expression.

"Thus far it appears none of them have discovered her identity. If they did they would have used her as a bargaining chip." Darlton stated, hiding his fear behind a mask of professionalism. "She went there just to observe, therefore she's not registered along with the other guests."

Xxx

"Can the Special Corp offer any assistance in the rescue?" Suzaku asked as he, Cecile, and Lloyd waited in front of the water.

"I've already asked them but we're an irregular unit and they don't acknowledge our chain of command." Lloyd threw a rock that skidded across the lake. "Besides..."

"It's too risky to trust the operation to an Eleven, right?" Suzaku cut Lloyd off.

"Actually I was going to say our support isn't that strong these days. The Lancelot's debut and defeat has not been forgotten and I'm sure you're aware Princess Cornelia is very discriminating about Britannians and Numbers." Lloyd frowned.

"So the Japanese are still not accepted in your structure." Suzaku said disappointingly.

"If that were true then what point would there be in a Britannian Honorary System?" Cecile rhetorically asked with a saddened look on her face.

Xxx

Naruto watched as the Japanese terrorists captured Britannian tourists and ambassadors down the hall. "What is the point of this? They can't seriously expect to gain anything from having a few ambassadors and tourists captured."

"You're speaking of them as if they actually have a strategy, Naruto. They don't have any plan to walk away from this alive." C.C. replied.

The both of them were disguised as Japanese soldiers, using the Henge jutsu to the take the form of the soldiers they killed.

"Great. Go down killing people they hate." Naruto closed his eyes. "That's nothing but a waste of energy and life. I hate scum like that."

"Let's hurry. Knowing Lelouch he'll try and save his friends and make a big entrance." C.C. said.

Xxx

"_She was only sight-seeing!_" A voice shouted from Zero's room as Kallen walked upstairs to check up on him.

She saw him watching the news from his laptop, showing a man pleading for the life of someone who had been taken hostage. Lelouch scowled as he saw the news, recognizing the man as Shirley's father and the man's pleas were getting to him. Shirley was a friend and Nunnally loved her, she would be devastated if Shirley was killed.

'We need to organize before we fight them again.' Lelouch thought, knowing that without Naruto and C.C. with him he didn't have any way of making it past Cornelia to get to the hostages unnoticed. 'It's too soon though, we're not ready. But we can't just sit here and do nothing either; knowing Cornelia she'll just sacrifice the hostages.'

He knew how his sister operated and knew that civilian hostages would not slow her down. The only thing that didn't make sense was why she hadn't done anything yet.

'So why doesn't she make her move? Could it be?'

"Zero?" Kallen's voice came from his door. "What will happen to the hostages?"

Lelouch turned to the computer. "Eventually there will be no reason to keep those Britannians alive."

It was the cold hard truth but it was the truth nonetheless. Lelouch knew better than anyone else that was how Britannia worked, eliminating anything they saw as weak and anyone who was a hostage was considered weak and not worth rescuing.

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right." Kallen said sadly.

Whatever Kallen was thinking of saying next was cut off as Ohgi walked in.

"Hey, Zero. I found these. Should I hand them out to everyone? I mean, as far as gear goes its pretty hip but we're just a resistance group-"

"Wrong." Lelouch stood up. "We're not a resistance group. Is that clear?"

"We aren't?" Ohgi asked, now confused. "Well, then what are we?"

"What we are, what we are trying to be, are knights for justice!" Lelouch thrust his hand out of his cape to emphasize his point.

Xxx

"Some of those hostages are your friends from school, aren't they?" Cecile asked as she worked on the Lancelot's systems. "They're still negotiating, so don't worry."

"I have faith in the system." Suzaku replied, looking at the building through the Lancelot's sensors. "I prefer the logic of systems to individual emotions."

Cecile looked somewhat sad at his answer and would have said something if she hadn't been startled by the look of horror on his face.

"Oh god…" Suzaku gasped as his face paled.

On roof of the hotel several terrorists brought a bound hostage to the edge.

"Don't do it!" Suzaku pleaded but his words fell on deaf ears as the terrorists pushed the hostage over the edge and left him to fall to this death. "NO!"

The Britannian screamed as he fell to the ground but just as he almost hit the ground he suddenly stopped. He opened his eyes and saw himself hovering above the platform.

"Ego-driven maniacs." A male voice spat.

The man suddenly felt sleepy for some reason and lost consciousness. If he was awake he would have seen a pissed off blond haired boy with purple ringed eyes with a violet bird symbol flashing under the pupil.

But when he woke up he would be happy to be alive.

Xxx

"_Our demands have not been answered_._ Therefore we will throw one hostage from the roof every thirty minutes until our terms are met. For the sake of the hostages, the negotiations better be in good faith._"

"This is their warning? Barbarians." Darlton growled.

Cornelia rose from her chair and left the room, making her way to the hangar. Darlton and Guilford quickly followed after her.

"For now we could negotiate to get the woman and children out-"

"Forget it!" Cornelia harshly cut Guilford off. "If you give into their conditions, even once then you're legitimizing terrorism."

"Milady, should we use force?" Darlton asked, both him and Guilford worried about their lady.

"We should only assume that course of action after we've confirmed the safety of Princess Euphemia." Guilford answered.

Cornelia flinched at the name of her sister.

"Viceroy!" A soldier cried out as he ran up to them. "It's Zero! We've just received a message from Zero! He's advancing on the bridge as we speak."

"Zero?" Cornelia muttered as they stared at the soldier in shock. "Guilford, Darlton, come with me! We're going to see what Zero wants!"

Xxx

"What?! What do you mean that van three was stolen by Zero? What the hell was Gibson doing at the time?" Diethard asked, looking up from his fishing rod.

"He said that when he realized what was happening it was too late." The intern answered.

"Then where is van three now?"

"Heading straight for the military now." The intern replied, shocking Diethard.

'Zero, what is your plan?' Diethard wondered, tuning out the man.

Zero had impressed him so far and this was obviously important if he was coming out like this.

Xxx

Zero stood on top the van as it approached the bridge, showing no sign of concern as the Gloucesters blocked his path.

"Hey, when Zero went off about justice earlier what do you think he meant?" Ohgi asked as Kallen drove.

"Don't know. But we may die first before we find out." Kallen answered. "It seems all of our escape routes have been cut off."

"Unless Zero uses that Geass of his to make Cornelia let us pass." Ohgi commented which made Kallen slightly shudder.

'Geass, it really is a dangerous power.' Kallen thought as she remembered how Zero got them the van.

He ordered the original owner to give it to him and the owner had done it without a fuss. Kallen remembered with awe and disgust at the fact that Zero's power could command anyone by just looking at them, robbing them of their free will and making them nothing but mindless slaves.

"I'm just wondering why didn't we use that other vehicle."

"Oh so you want the whole world to see where we hide out."

"Point taken."

"I don't know about this Zero character. You sure we should trust him?"

"No. That's I said he looks shifty to me but it anything goes wrong I'll do something about it. Still he must be allied with Japanese since those two knights of his have Japanese code names and Japanese weapons."

'Cornelia, as much I'd like to finish what we started in the Saitama Ghetto I still need you.' Lelouch thought as the Royal Guard guarding the bridge came into view.

"Well, well, we meet again Zero" Cornelia called out from her Gloucester as it stopped in front of the van. "Why are you here? Are you siding with the Japanese Liberation Front? Or perhaps you intend to help us? Regardless, our concerns take priority over your at the moment. So for the death of my half-brother Clovis, I shall take my revenge right here and now!"

She pulled her gun out and pointed it exactly Zero's head, ready to pull the trigger.

"Cornelia, who would you choose? Clovis who is dead or Euphemia who is alive?" Zero asked, causing Cornelia's face to falter in shock.

'Perfect, my suspicions were correct.' Lelouch thought with a grin when he saw the look on her face. 'You haven't changed a bit, dear sister. You always doted on sweet little Euphemia, so you won't take aggressive action. Your emotions are getting in the way.'

Of course Lelouch was not any better as he doted on Nunnally even more than Cornelia did with Euphie and wouldn't be much better if it was Nunnally in Euphemia's position instead. Cornelia along with Guilford and Darlton were shocked that Zero knew that Euphemia was in the hotel with the other hostages, leading Cornelia to suspect someone might have been sending information to Zero.

"It is within my power to save Euphemia for you, Cornelia." Zero continued.

"What are you saying?" Cornelia asked shakily, sweat pouring down her forehead. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"I said I am able to rescue her." Zero stated clearly.

Cornelia had trouble keeping her professional military persona up as she gazed into the reflection of herself on Zero's visor.

'There's no way he can pull it off. Any attempt to extract the hostages would only put Euphie in danger!' Cornelia tried to rationalize.

But the part of her that was a soldier was falling against the part of her that was a terrified older sister that would do anything to save Euphie.

Even it means making a deal with the devil.

Xxx

"Sir, we have reports of Zero coming towards the hotel!" A soldier said as he ran into Kusakabe room.

"Zero you say?" Kusakabe asked, sounding intrigued.

"Yes sir. He just came past the Britannian Military forces."

"Very well. Send him up here. I wish to speak to him." Kusakabe grinned.

Xxx

"_Attention all forces, let Zero pass. I repeat, let Zero pass._"

Without a word Cornelia moved her Gloucester aside with Darlton and Guilford following her example though they were confused why she would do that as the van drove past the blockade. Cornelia could only stare with a frustrated look as the van Lelouch was on drove past her.

'Either the Japan Liberation Front will accept me as an ally or they're going to treat me as nothing more than a nuisance.' Lelouch thought as the van approached the gate. 'In any event, I highly doubt they'll want to pass up the chance to meet the infamous Zero. We shall see.'

His suspicions were confirmed as the gate was opened.

'Excellent.' Lelouch smirked. 'All the operation's preliminary conditions have been cleared.'

Xxx

"Viceroy, what are you doing?" Darlton asked.

"I believe that by letting Zero go in we can buy some time before the next hostage is executed. So this is our chance, we can hit both of them at the same time." Cornelia answered as she got back into the cockpit of her Gloucester.

Xxx

"Wonderful! I want to thank you for such a lovely order." Lloyd said, giggling happily as he turned to face the Lancelot and its pilot. "They've said you've got the green light, Lancelot. You're orders to charge in right in the Linear Cannon in the tunnel."

"Wait a minute." Cecile spoke up. "They're using him as a decoy to make an opening for them?"

"Yep. Seems like they'll use the confusion to send in the Royal Guard." Lloyd answered.

"Seems like? But Lloyd-"

"Miss Cecile, I'm ready. Please let me do it." Suzaku stated with conviction in his voice. "If the Lancelot and I are needed and we're able to give the hostages an opportunity to be saved then I'll do it, even if means being a decoy."

Xxx

The Lancelot was lowered into the service tunnel with Suzaku ready to rescue the hostages. A rifle was attached to its back by the waist.

"_Warrant Officer Kururugi. Here is a guideline for your mission. According to prime search the hostages are located on the hotel's middle floor and believed to be locked inside the food storage room. Advanced prototype weapon Z-01 Lancelot will use the utilities tunnel to move under the hotel._" Cecile's voice came through the speakers. "_Once on site you will destroy the foundation and submerge the building. The area with the hostages should hold out for eight minutes. Hostage rescue and mop of up the terrorists will be handled by other units. You will be using the VARIS to destroy the foundation. Set the Impact Rail to Anti-Material Level Three._"

"_The only variable in this is that pesky Linear Cannon waiting for you in the tunnel. Space is tight in there; the Lancelot will only have a forty seven point eight percent evasion rate._" Lloyd added his own two cents.

Suzaku knew that the odds were against him but he cared little for that. All that he cared about was rescuing his friends on the Student Council. He readied himself for the all clear signal as he readied the Lancelot for launch.

XXX

"Is he serious?" Naruto watched as the van Lelouch was on approached the entrance. "Approaching with just a van with no protection from Cornelia's troops."

"Just like his parents, always a taste for the theatrical with no sense of self preservation." C.C. answered as they both watched from the window of the room they were in.

The sounds of shouting from down the hall caused them to look through the eyes of the Shadow Clones disguised as JLF soldiers guarding the hostages. Apparently Nina offended one of the soldiers by calling them an Eleven and they would have attacked her if someone else hadn't stepped in.

"Princess Euphemia?" Naruto asked.

"The Third Princess in line for the throne." C.C. explained. "No wonder Cornelia hasn't done anything yet. She wouldn't dare attack as long as her own sister is here."

"Sister?" Naruto glanced at C.C. "She doesn't seem anything like Cornelia."

"I don't know much about her myself. I do know she spent time playing with Lelouch and Nunnally as they were growing up." C.C. answered with a thoughtful look on her face. "I shouldn't be surprised that she's here with her sister. Cornelia is somewhat…overprotective of her."

"Ah." Naruto nodded in understanding.

He had seen it all before.

"I think we should lend a hand."

Xxx

As Euphemia was led down the hall by the guards towards Kusakabe's room they were suddenly stopped by two cloaked figures that stepped around the corner. One wore a white and red fox mask while the other wore an avian mask.

"Halt! Who are you?" The soldiers quickly pointed their guns at the two cloaked strangers but they did not seem to care.

"You guys are a bunch of drama queens aren't you?" The fox masked stranger asked, the voice sounding male.

"I'm warning you! If you're Britannian pigs we'll kill you right here no-GAH!"

The avian masked stranger threw their arms out, tossing four kunai forward that cut through the hands holding the rifles, causing the soldiers to scream in pain. The fox masked man leapt forward, punching or kicking the soldiers with enough force to knock them out instantly.

"You should have just shot us instead of shouting at us." A female voice whispered through the avian mask.

"Who are you?" Euphemia asked, taking a step back.

"We are Zero's personal knights." The avian masked girl answered making Euphemia's eyes widen in shock.

'Zero?'

Xxx

"You have no intention of joining me?" Zero asked as he stared down Kusakabe.

"Remove that mask and show your true face to us. It's disrespectful." Kusakabe stated, ignoring Zero's question.

"I understand but before I do I'd like to ask you something." Zero replied. "What exactly do you hope to accomplish with this action?"

"To gain attention." Kusakabe answered as if it was simple. "I want this country and the rest of the world that the Japanese aren't dead yet."

"How stale." Zero darkly commented.

"Hmm?" Kusakabe frowned.

"You people are obsolete. There's no saving you." Zero said condescendingly.

"What?! Why you arrogant-" A JFL bodyguard shouted.

"Explain what you mean by that, Zero." Kusakabe cut his guard off.

Xxx

"_Lancelot, launching now!_"

The Lancelot blasted forward through the tunnels, surprising the Raiko pilots but they quickly recovered by preparing to fire again.

"So what if it is as twice as fast? It'll end up like the rest! Super Electro Magnetic Shrapnel Cannon, fire!" The pilot shouted.

The Lancelot however managed to avoid the barrage launched by the Raiko with its speed and the fact that its landspinners even allowed it to move along the tunnel's ceiling. As it moved in a crouch position the Lancelot took out VARIS rifle.

"Yes, it can take this level of destructive force." Suzaku muttered, focusing on the enemy up ahead with Blaze Luminous shields active.

"That thing broke through salvo number five! I can't believe it!" A JFL pilot said fearfully.

"Just don't panic! Deploy the quad-link free-fire arm gun, batteries too. We'll shield this final defense with our lives." The other pilot shouted. "Use maximum output! I don't give a damn if it destroys the guns! Be prepared to die defending this spot. Smash him!"

"Ms. Cecile, it's time to use the VARIS." Suzaku stated.

"_No! You could get killed!_" Cecile shouted in concern.

"There's no time for me to evade. I'll risk getting blasted to take the shot."

The Raiko fired but it was too late. The Lancelot fired the VARIS and energy blast obliterated the shell just after it came out of the Raiko's cannon and continued into the Raiko's cannon causing an explosion that left a hole in the ceiling. The Lancelot leapt through the hole, landing on the other side of the bridge and quickly fired at the foundation blocks.

Xxx

"It's the Eleven." Cornelia muttered as she along with her advisors watched as the Lancelot completed its mission. "He really did it…Guilford!"

"Right." Guilford answered, knowing the next part of the plan.

Xxx

"Princess Euphemia Li Britannia." The fox masked man said once they were alone in an empty room. "You risked your life when you revealed your identity to those terrorists. Why would you do such a thing?"

"Because if I didn't they would have harmed the hostages. I didn't want to see anyone hurt." Euphemia answered to the best of her ability.

"Even if they would have hurt or killed you?" The fox masked stranger asked.

"Even that. Violence is never the answer." Euphemia answered, trying to maintain her calm and regal image she learned to perfect from being around her sister.

The masked strangers seemed to just stare at her in silence which was unnerving her a bit. "You really are different from the rest of your family aren't you?" Suddenly the fox masked man twitched. "Zero's here. He's on his way to see Kusakabe."

"Zero?" Euphemia asked, surprised and wondering how the man would know something like that.

"Time to move." The bird masked woman agreed.

Euphemia had to struggle as she to keep herself calm as she followed the apparent 'Knight of Zero' named Seizan down the hall while the woman vanished in a puff of smoke. "Where are we going?"

"Kusakabe will no doubt have Zero brought to him when he hears that Zero made it past Cornelia's blockade." Seizan answered. "They are probably speaking right now."

"Why is Zero here?" Euphemia asked, wondering why this person was being so open with her.

"No doubt to rescue the hostages."

"But why?" Euphemia questioned. "Why would Zero rescue Britannians while declaring himself its enemy? He murdered my brother."

"And what about the murders Viceroy Clovis committed in Shinjuku or the Pure Bloods falsely accusing Suzaku Kururugi of the crime to further their own political agenda? And what about Viceroy Cornelia repeating Clovis's actions in Saitama, not caring if unharmed civilians or children were mercilessly gunned down for simply being suspected of collaborating with terrorists even though there was no proof?" Seizan asked rhetorically.

Euphemia flinched at the last question. "I...I…"

"You do not seem to condone these actions and you even endangered yourself for the sake of the hostages. If only more in the Royal Family had your integrity." Seizan stopped in front of the door. "This is where Kusakabe and Zero are."

When he opened the door Euphemia was greeted with the shock of see Zero standing in the middle of the room with Kusakabe's bodyguards dead with the general himself knocked out on the ground with Shinryoku standing over him.

"What happened?" Seizan asked, already knowing what happened.

Xxx

_"Zero." Kusakabe drew his katana. "There is no point talking anymore!"_

_A shadow moved out from behind Zero and threw several objects that sliced through the throats of Kusakabe's bodyguards._

_"What?!" Kusakabe shouted as Shinryoku stepped out in front of Zero. "Who are you?!"_

_"Did you really think Zero would come here along?" The masked woman asked._

_"So, you're one of his lackeys, huh? No matter, die!" Kusakabe swung his katana._

_'Fool.' C.C. unsheathed her katana and easily blocked man's blade._

_"What?! That's a Japanese sword! You're Japanese?! Why do you help Zero instead of your fellow Japanese?!" Kusakabe started wildly swinging like a mad man._

_C.C. blocked each and every slash easily as she stepped back, ducking or stepping out of the general's sword without much effort. This fool's skill was mediocre at best and a complete joke at worst and she considered just killing him to end the misery. But of course it would go against the idea Naruto had come up with so she settled for knocking the sword out of idiot's hand and slamming the hilt of her blade at the man's jaw, knocking him down._

_"You know that was not necessary. I could have easily killed him." Lelouch said as C.C. tied the man's hand behind his back._

_"I know but wouldn't it be better for us to hand him over to Cornelia, showing that we could do what she couldn't? Sending him and Euphemia right to her all wrapped up would make people question Cornelia's effectiveness. It would also legitimize these idiots as terrorists and cause doubt amongst their supporters, leaving them to find someone else to look to for hope." C.C. explained._

_Lelouch stopped and paused as he thought it over. It did make a lot of sense as Cornelia obviously hasn't let anyone know aside from her personal knights about how she let him deal with the situation. _

_Still, there was something to consider. "And when Cornelia interrogates him about the location of the JLF?"_

_"I'll die before I tell any Britannian pigs anything!" Kusakabe shouted._

_That sparked an idea in Lelouch's mind. "Yes, you will." Kusakabe thought Zero would kill him but instead the visor on the man's mask slid up to reveal his left eye that glowed red with a bird like symbol. "Obey my commands!"_

Xxx

"The Colonel and the others just needed someone to show them how meaningless this operation was." Zero answered before turning his attention on the princess. "Euphemia, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the commoners. You haven't changed."

"So you are Zero." Euphimia stated as she stepped and stared at the masked man carefully. "And who are your two companions? They say they are your knights."

"Indeed. I see you've met Seizan and Shinryoku." Zero nodded to the other masked figures in the room.

"Pleasure to meet you, your highness." Shinryoku bowed half heartedly. "I believe we have much to discuss."

Xxx

"T-this is all my fault!" Nina sobbed into Milly's chest. "If I hadn't said anything…If I'd never come…"

"Don't talk like that." Milly softly whispered. "None of us knew this was going to happen."

"B-but…" Nina looked up with tear filled eyes. "B-because of me, Princess Euphemia…"

"She'd have been discovered eventually." Shirley assured her. "I mean, someone was going to notice her. And she's the Sub-Viceroy of Area Eleven; they wouldn't harm a valuable hostage."

"I wouldn't be so sure." A gruff voice cut in. They looked up to see the JFL soldier from before looking very smug. "Lieutenant-Colonel Kusakabe isn't the forgiving type and he despises Britannians more than anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if he roughed her up a bit, just to drive the nail home."

"You beast!" Nina shrieked, glaring at up at the guard, only to flinch when he pointed his rifle at her.

Milly and Shirley quickly covered her with their own bodies.

"Watch your tongue, bitch. Though, maybe we should thank you, you've given us a valuable hostage after all." The sinister grin lengthened as he cocked his rifle. "In fact, with a Princess of the Empire as ransom what do we need a riffraff like you for?"

The hostages all shivered as the guards looked at them with sinister grins as they pointed their rifles at them.

'Lulu!' Shirley thought in her mind as she thought she was about to die.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

The guards gasped as they spun around and spotted a cloaked woman, wearing black body armor, a cloak with a hood covering her head and a red and white avian mask covering her face.

"Who are you?!"

That was when the doors burst open and the guards were gunned down as figures in black jackets and visors came into the room.

'Those aren't military uniforms.' Milly realized as they check over the hostages. 'And those voices…Elevens?'

"Shinyroku?" The girl with spiky red hair asked. "When did you get here?"

"I came here on a mission to observe the conference. Seizan is here as well and we have already subdued the other terrorists." The avian masked woman answered.

"Who-who are you?" Shirley asked, flinching as they turned to her. "You aren't military so who are you with?"

"We are with Zero." The visor sporting man answered, causing the hostages to react in shock at the vigilante's name. "He sent us to get you people out."

"Zero?" Shirley repeated as everyone looked confused but slightly hopeful. "But why would he-"

"No time for talk." The man interrupted. "We have to get you out now."

"Wait!" Nina called out, leaning against Milly, fearful of Elevens and worried for Euphemia. "Princess Euphemia!"

"Do not worry about her." Shinryoku answered as she turned to the door. "She is safe and is on her way to speak with Zero."

The answer caused several hostages to gasp in shock and concern for the Princess.

"That's enough talk! Now move it!" The man gestured to the door where two more members were waiting.

Xxx

Euphemia tried not to look nervous as she stared down Zero with his knight, Seizan standing next to her. The avian masked woman had left the room for reasons she did not know but that was not her problem at the moment.

"I hear that you are the Sub-Viceroy now, your Highness, Princess Euphemia li Britannia." Zero stated.

"It's not an appointment I'm happy with." Euphemia answered with a frown, pushing her fear down.

"No. It's because Clovis was murdered. That was my doing." Zero admitted with no regret or remorse in his voice. "He begged pathetically for his life to the very end. He pleaded with the same tongue that ordered the death of Elevens."

"So is that why you killed my brother?" Euphie asked, upset to hear Zero say such a thing.

"No."

Euphemia was surprised by the answer. "Then why?"

"Because Clovis was an offspring of the Britannian Emperor."

'Because he was father's son?' Euphemia wondered before Zero pulled a pistol out from his cloak and pointed it at her.

"That reminds me, you're one of his children too, aren't you?"

"That is enough." Suddenly Seizan was in front of Zero with his hand on the pistol. "I will not let you kill her."

"Seizan?" Zero asked, not expecting him to do anything. "What are you doing?"

"I agreed to help you, I didn't agree to stand by and let you kill someone who doesn't deserve to die." Seizan took the gun from Zero's hand. "Princess Euphemia put her life on the line for the hostages, thus proving to be a person of integrity. I won't allow her to die for being brave."

"…Very well." Zero relented, not wishing to fight his ally.

The door opened and Kallen stepped in. "Zero, all of the hostages have been accounted for. What should we do next?"

"Order a withdrawal, Q-1." Zero answered. "Have the hostages evacuated as I instructed. Extraction method Alpha."

"What about them?" Kallen looked at Euphemia and Kusakabe.

"I promised her sister that I would return her unharmed and I am a man of my word. The Colonel on the other hand will serve a different purpose." Zero stated.

"Very well." Seizan held up his hand to Euphemia. "It's time to go, Princess."

Euphemia blinked before taking the offered hand.

Xxx

As the Lancelot landed on the ground Suzaku felt a rush of pride at completing his mission and showing his skills to the Britannian military. The Royal Guard would swarm the terrorists and rescue the hostages before anyone else died. He looked through the Lancelot's sensors and spotted something in one of the windows, staring at him.

'Zero?!' Suzaku thought with widened eyes.

He thrust the Lancelot forward towards the hotel, throwing away all forms of rational thinking. Zero had proven that he didn't care about endangering innocent lives or killing Britannian Royalty and Princess Euphemia was there.

Xxx

'That White Knightmare from before.' Zero thought as he took out a detonator and pressed the button.

The second he did the explosives he had his team place around key areas of the hotel went off and Lake Kawaguchi Hotel exploded in a ball of flame with enough force to knock several soldiers off their feet.

"EUPHIE!" Cornelia screamed, not caring what people thought of her reaction.

"MY FRIENDS!" Suzaku's voice shouted through the Lancelot's speakers.

_ WARRANT OFFICER KURURUG, DON'T_!"

Suzaku didn't hear Lloyd's voice as the Lancelot moved towards the falling remains of the hotel. The smoke and dust from the rubble quickly covered the Knightmare. Everyone was blinded and had to cover their eyes. A few seconds later and the dusk cleared.

Near where the former hotel stood, Lloyd and Cecile could see the Lancelot standing, without a scratch on it.

"He's alright!" Cecile exclaimed, happy and relieved that Suzaku wasn't hurt.

Lloyd sighed in relief as well, though he was happy that his precious Lancelot wasn't damaged. Of course, Suzaku was not harmed; at least he was not physically harmed.

"I couldn't rescue them." Tears formed in his eyes at the loss of his friends. "They're dead; I couldn't save them. Not again!"

Xxx

In a news van a technician turned to his boss. "I'm telling you those cameras were all in van three that Zero took."

"Then let's hope we pick up a signal from them."

'What are you doing, Zero? Was this not part of your plan to show us something?' Diethard thought.

Xxx

Suzaku slammed his fist on the control panel. Because of his tears, Suzaku didn't notice the dust clearing across the lake, and the yacht that was coming into view with life boats surrounding it. That was when all across Area Eleven, Zero's masked face appeared on every television screen.

"My dear Britannians, have no fear. All of the hostages are safe and sound. I, Zero, return them to you safe and sound." Zero spoke through the speakers that amplified his voice as he gestured to the life boats.

Xxx

"Of all brazen audacity." Cornelia glared at Zero's image when she saw the hostages on the life boats. "If we attack you the people become your hostages, won't they?"

"Kill the video."

"I can't. It won't take my access code."

Xxx

Lights suddenly came on, illuminating Zero and seven people dressed in black jackets with silver lining, black and silver hats, and visors standing behind him. The males wore black pants while the two females either wore shirt skirts or shorts that reached down mid-thigh matching their jackets. Between them was a bound and gagged Kusakabe while standing next to Zero was…

"Euphie!" Cornelia gasped, seeing her younger sister alive and standing next to Zero.

She looked unharmed and a slightly afraid to be so close to Zero but that was understandable.

"This is all possible through the cooperation of myself and Princess Euphemia Li Britannia herself." Zero gestured to Euphy who gasped in shock at the attention being drawn to her. "In an act of pure courage and selflessness she voluntarily gave up her identity, risking her life to negotiate with the terrorists for the release of the hostages. I, Zero and my own knights witnessed this act of bravery and so I offered my support to ensure that all hostages were saved, even the one hostage that the Japan Liberation Front tried to execute."

The camera zoomed in on the man the terrorists tried to execute; proving to everyone who had seen him fall was still alive and quite happy to be alive.

"People, fear us or rally behind us as you see fit. For we are the Black Knights!" Zero announced.

'Black Knights?' Euphie wondered, staring at Zero for calling his group 'Knights.'

Xxx

"Black Knights?" Cecile asked, confused at the title.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Lloyd commented with his signature smile. "Terrorists calling themselves knights."

Xxx

"You heard me, run the broadcast." Diethard said angrily into his earphone, watching from a news van. "Liable? I'll be the one held responsible."

Xxx

"We of the Black Knights stand with all of those who have no weapons to wield. Regardless of whether they be Britannians or Japanese!"

Lelouch would have called them Elevens but when Naruto heard him rehearsing his speech he quickly pointed out he'd make more supporters if he referred to them as people instead of numbers and further spit in the face of Britannia's superior image.

"The Japanese Liberation Front cowardly took innocent civilians hostage and they mercilessly executed them. It was a wanton and meaningless act; therefore, they have been punished. Just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished for ordering the slaughter of unharmed Japanese. We could not stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out and so we made him pay for his actions. However, I also believe in the saying 'eye for an eye' so as gratitude for allowing me the chance to save the hostages I offer Viceroy Cornelia the leader of the terrorists, General Kusakabe." Zero declared, earning mixed reactions from his statement.

Xxx

"He's handing the terrorist leader over? Why would he do that?" Guilford asked.

"I see." Cornelia narrowed her eyes as they flashed with rage. "He's sending me their leader as a so-called gift but in reality he's making a statement that I couldn't do anything and had to rely on a terrorist to save the hostages to undermine me in front of my subjects. He's even gone and stated Euphie helped him to make it seem she was a willing ally."

That was a major sting to her pride as Zero was basically rubbing the fact that she couldn't have done it without him in her face and using her sister as a political pawn left her burning on the inside.

Xxx

"I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field but neither will I tolerate a one sided massacre of the innocent. The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed!"

Suzaku and Cornelia frowned as they mentally agreed with that statement albeit begrudgingly.

'Knights…of Justice?' Kallen thought as she stared Zero's back.

They now understand what Zero had meant, their doubts about him slowly vanishing as he continued his speech.

"Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again. No matter how formidable our foe may be. We shall continue to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves!"

Zero stopped his speech as the yacht and the life boats were rocked by two explosions of water behind the yacht, making the hostages and a few of the Black Knights cry out in shock. The water cleared away revealing two Knightmares, one dark green and black while the other was black and blue that positioned themselves on either side of the boat.

"It's them!" Suzaku's eyes widened when he saw the two Knightmares that he faced in Shinjuku. "So they are with Zero!"

His shock was amplified as he saw them _standing_ on the water.

'What kind of Knightmares are these two?' Suzaku wondered.

Xxx

"Those are the Knightmares from Shinjuku! They came out from under the water and they are floating on top of it!" Cecile gasped.

She knew the Knightmares were advanced but they kept on surprising everyone with each appearance. And the way they were standing, it was like they were literally standing on the water!

"Could Rakshata have figured how to make Knightmares fly?" Cecile wondered, remembering how she and Rakshata theorized on wings that would allow Knightmares to fly.

It had never been done before but Cecile believed it was possible.

"That's…that's not fair! Just what has Rakshata been doing?!" Lloyd complained childishly. "They can tunnel underground, move through water and fly?! How did she come up with all of this?!"

Xxx

Rakshata smirked as she watched the broadcast and wondered how Lloyd reacted to seeing her children standing on the water. 'I feel for some reason that the Earl of Pudding just got himself a bit of a heart attack.'

Needless to say this brightened Rakshata's day up very much.

Xxx

Two cloaked figures landed on the boat, next to Zero, having jumped off the shoulders of the Knightmares.

'Those Knightmares…' Euphie thought as she stared both Knightmares, seeing how advanced and powerful they looked.

"We shall be the ones who break the chain of never ending hatred and pain." The fox masked man proclaimed.

"And we shall guide this world into a new era of peace." The avian masked woman stated.

"Those of you in power fear us!" Zero continued, regaining his calmness that had been lost in the entrance of his knights, thrusting his left arm out from under his cape. "Those of you without it, rally behind us!" He thrust his right arm out like his left. "We, the Black Knights shall be the ones who stand in judgement of the world!"

Euphie couldn't help but shiver from Zero's speech. 'The way he speaks, even people who denounce him as a terrorist will be forced to acknowledge him.'

"Zero, what about her?" A man behind Zero asked, looking at Euphie.

"She is not to be harmed. I promised her sister she would be returned unharmed." Zero answered as his two knights stood next to Euphie like bodyguards.

"Time to go, Princess." Zero stated softly as he took Euphie's hand and slowly led her to a life boat.

Euphie watched as the boat she was on was lowered into the water, staring up at the masked man. The instant Euphie had touched the man's hand she was hit by a sudden sense of familiarity as if she somehow…knew the man behind the mask.

'This hand…Why does it seem so familiar?' Euphie wondered.

"And now we depart." Zero announced as he held up a switch with a red button.

A blast of smoke shrouded the yacht and the Knightmares that faded a moment later, taking the people on the boat and the Knightmares with it. All that was left was the flag of Japan and the symbol of the Black Knights on the boat with the still bound Kusakabe onboard.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

"You didn't have to react. I wasn't going to kill her." Lelouch said as he, C.C. and Naruto walked back to Lelouch's home.

"Maybe. But that doesn't mean you should have pulled a gun on her, especially since she had done nothing to deserve it." Naruto countered. "From I saw if Euphemia was the one in charge of Britannia then all the crap they spew wouldn't exist."

Lelouch agreed but didn't voice it. "You have an idea that uses Euphy, don't you?"

"I don't use people, Lelouch, but if Zero really plans to be a champion for the commoners and the weak we'll need more than just Japanese resistance fighters as allies. Like I said, understand your allies and enemies and their reasons to fight and you'll be able to bring them together. You saw it as clearly as I do as to what kind of person Euphemia really is." Naruto answered.

"In other words, perhaps we should look into seeing if Princess Euphemia can help us." C.C. commented.

"She cannot know." Lelouch stated with a fierce look as they stopped in front of the gate. "I will not let her know about me and Nunnally."

"We didn't say that. Your secrets are your business. We're talking about the Black Knights business." C.C. replied. "And Naruto has a point; we need more allies than just freedom fighters."

"And what can Euphy do?" Lelouch asked.

"As the Sub-Viceroy she has access to a lot of Britannia's dealings inside Japan, including military operations." Naruto answered, making Lelouch look at him. "With Cornelia running the rest of this country's resistance groups into the ground it'd be a major boon to be able to predict her moves. And we found a place to set up shop."

"What?" Lelouch looked confused.

"The Ashford family still keeps the equipment they used to design for Britannia in an abandoned factory." C.C. answered. "Milly's grandfather was very open to the idea."

"Milly's grandfather? He knows!" Lelouch exclaimed in shock. "You told him?!"

"Relax. We didn't tell him anything but the old man is smart." C.C. answered.

Xxx

_"My family's previous occupation?" Ruben asked as C.C. sat down. "What do you mean, Miss Senju?"_

_"Please don't play this game, Principal Ashford. I know the Ashford's family and the reason they lost their nobility." C.C. answered. "I'm interested to see if you've kept anything from your previous position."_

_Ruben sighed. "So…Lelouch has finally made his move."_

_C.C. raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think Lelouch has anything to do with this?"_

_"I'll ask you not to play this game, Tsunade Senju, if that is your real name. I took Lelouch and Nunnally in and let them stay in the clubhouse of this school and Milly even knows their true identities but she doesn't know about Lelouch's other secret. But when I looked at the TV during Kururugi trial, I knew. I knew this day would come." Ruben smiled softly. "I knew he'd been hurt and angry when his mother died and when he and his sister showed up, looking for shelter I saw that look in his eyes, the look that told me he was ready, ready to go after everyone who wronged his family. I'm old but I'm not blind and for all of Lelouch's brilliance he never learned how to truly hide the anger. The cold and distant school boy that all the girls crush on but he can't open himself up, can't let anyone in and show his real self."_

_"And you, Principal Ashford? If you believed he was you know who why haven't you said anything? You'd have your family's nobility restored." C.C. pointed out._

_"Unlike Milly's parents and like Milly I have no interest in restoring our nobility, not after the Emperor stripped us of it for supporting Lady Marianne and the war that claimed the lives of many Japanese friends that helped us through our dark times. Does this mean Lelouch wishes to use my family's resources since we designed his mother's Knightmare?" Ruben asked._

_"Lelouch doesn't know. Our partnership is strictly business and though Lelouch has an impressive tactical and keen mind his ego often causes him to make mistakes, such as going to war without preparing himself." C.C. answered with a small grin. "My only question is that would you be willing to help us?"_

_"Only as long as my granddaughter will never have to be terrified like she was when the war happened seven years ago. Lelouch is not the only one who desires revenge but I dare not do anything as long as my family is in possible danger." Ruben nodded. "Now then, Miss Senju, let us talk of this rebellion…"_

Xxx

"In short, we now have a Knightmare factory with a Knightmare prototype that was never given the chance to show itself to the world." C.C. finished her tale. "And not only can that but the computer systems allow us to even access Britannia's systems to find out all the Knightmares they are designing. It seems the Britannian military never considered the fact that a disgraced family could sneak past their security to look at sensitive information, even a library on every combination of Knightmare frames."

Lelouch was silent in shock as C.C. finished her tale. "And Principal Ashford is fine with this? If the military finds out he's helping us he and Milly will be in danger."

"He's not worried, Lelouch. He wouldn't have given us the factory if he thought he and Milly would be in danger. You're not the only one with someone to protect." Naruto said as he walked forward to the clubhouse with C.C. holding his hand. "If the Black Knights do become a legitimate threat to Britannia we'll need all the help we can get."

Lelouch watched as they walked forward before following after them.

Xxx

"Wow. Look at this place."

The mobile base of the Black Knights parked inside the abandoned Ashford factory and they were all staring at the place that Zero had brought them to.

"What is this place?" Ohgi asked.

"It used to be a weapons factory owned by the Ashford family but they abandoned it following their fall from nobility." Zero asked as he stepped out the van.

"The Ashford family?" Kallen asked, thinking of Milly and wondering how the family of that crazy girl could design weapons for the military.

"Yes. When they lost their nobility they fled to Japan and established the Ashford Academy but they kept whatever military technology they had left." Zero explained. "The factory is still in good shape and I managed to acquire some old designs for some third generation Knightmare frames. I've sent those designs to a friend to look over."

Actually it was C.C. who had taken the designs and sent them to the person who had designed Naruto's and her Knightmare Frames.

"With the proper resources and equipment the Black Knights will soon be a legitimate threat to Britannia." Zero said as the group looked around the factory. "It has all the parts we need to create Knightmares that can stand up to Cornelia's forces and her Gloucesters. I have decided to make this the primary headquarters when we're not using the mobile base. My knights have already made use of it and as you can see the Ashford family left a little something."

True to their word Naruto and C.C. had brought their Knightmares here instead of the secret garage underneath Ashford Academy and both Knightmares were hidden in a secret hangar underneath the ground floor of the factory. Zero didn't mention this as the Black Knights were staring at the Oberon Frames lining in the interior of the factory.

"What are they?" Kallen asked.

"I present to you the Oberon Frame, the last Knightmare Frame to be built by the Ashford family before losing their status. It was built to compete with the Sutherland and Glasgow Frames but were built with heavier and thicker armor that can shrug off bazookas and machine guns." Zero explained. "Due to the armor they are slower than the Sutherland Frame but the shields they carry are meant to increase protection."

"Seriously?" Tamaki asked, a grin forming on his face.

"Wow." Inoue whispered.

"Seizan and Shinryoku's Knightmares will remain here along with any other Knightmares we steal or design. This will be perfect for repairing the few stolen Sutherlands we have but in the meantime we can develop infantry weapons and the Knightmare simulators left here to help train pilots." Zero announced, earning nods of agreement from the rest of the group. "One more thing, we should wait until we have more resources and manpower before we start using these Knightmares."

"Uh? Why?" Tamaki asked, wanting to test these Oberons out.

"To put it simply Cornelia would be forced to call in more reinforcements, possibly elite pilots like the Knights of the Round if she discovered we suddenly gained access to a number of Knightmares that for the record never made an appearance. She may start to believe we have the capabilities of building our own Knightmares which we now have but we are still too few with only two advanced Knightmares as our main force." Zero explained.

"I see. You want to wait for this group to get more man power so Cornelia won't know what hit her." Kallen said, figuring out what Zero meant.

"Precisely. Her pride won't let her call for any help from any experience tacticians but from the losses she suffered she'll no doubt call for more pilots are on the reserve list from other areas while ordering an increase in Knightmare production. For now, we stick to the shadows and maintain ourselves as a group that for the most part has limited resources." Lelouch nodded.

He had already made plans to make use of this factory by calling on the numerous favors he gained from the nobles in the Settlement and with the help of his Geass he could make sure none of it was traced back to him or the Ashfords.

"You heard the man. Let's set up." Ohgi said.

The group quickly got to work in exploring the factory, seeing what it had and what they could use. In the meantime Zero turned and walked to the elevator, pushing the button for the basement and waited as it took him down.

Xxx

"Well, despite being considered the prime of a bygone age these are still impressive designs. With a few little modifications they'd be perfect, next to my perfect children of course." Rakshata looked over the schematics the Ashford family never got to build. "So, you want me to design them?"

"_Well, I had another idea in mind. You've completed the Shadow Clone Jutsu yet and the Henge yet?_" Naruto asked.

"Yeah?" Rakshata slowly answered.

"_The Black Knights obviously needs someone who knows who to operate the equipment. Lelouch might have an idea but he's more strategist and chess master than actually building._" Naruto explained.

"So you want me to send you a Shadow Clone of myself to supervise the constructions of Knightmares for the Black Knights." Rakshata suddenly grinned excitingly at the idea of more than one Rakshata Chawla building state of the art Knightmares. "Oh, why didn't I think of it before?! One me here and the other me in Japan, both coming up with new and more deadly children!"

Suddenly a lot of people in the facility shivered.

"_We both got an idea for an alias your Shadow Clone can use and to see how good your skills in Iyro-ninjutsu have come. And let's hope you're good at acting._" Naruto continued.

"Oh, do tell." Rakshata leaned forward with a smirk.

There were times Naruto wondered if Rakshata was Baa-chan's dimensional sister or something when she smiled.

Xxx

It had been two week since the events at Lake Kawaguchi but Zero and the Black Knights had remained the main topic of any gossip between Britannian or Eleven. The Britannians and Honorary Britannians were worried about what Zero and the Black Knights planned to do with their way of life while the Japanese supported Zero in his endeavours.

"_Clearing the last of the debris from the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel. It has been two weeks since Zero unveiled his Black Knights but there is still no insight as to the man behind the mask._"

"_They weren't able to track his escape route?_"

"_They let the hostages go and somehow made it to the other shore._"

Kallen laid face down on her bed with her clothes scattered across the floor, not bothering to change into night clothes when she came home last night or turn the TV off. She had skipped classes before to take part in her other life but now she was so exhausted that she wondered if she'd end up quitting school before the year was out. Since the debut of the Black Knights they had been working to establish themselves as Knights of Justice like Zero said, executing minor raids that involved stopping drug rings run by Britannian nobles exploiting the helpless Japanese, liberating woman forced into prostitution, and dealing with smugglers. All done to build up their reputation as champions for the people that would flock their cause.

Kallen would have continued to try to sleep if not for a crashing sound was heard outside of her room. She quickly threw on a gown before she opened the door and looked out into the hall. A woman dressed in a maid's outfit was kneeling down next to a broken chandelier, looking startled and disappointed as Kallen opened the door.

"Kallen-I mean Mistress, please forgive me. I didn't wish to awake you." The woman quickly said when she noticed Kallen.

"Again." Kallen whispered with a tone of irritation in her voice.

"I'm sorry, it was the step ladder this time, it broke." The woman explained sadly.

"Well just clean it up and be quick about it. I have to go to school soon." Kallen simply said.

The woman seemingly perked up for some reason. "Mistress, you've been attending school quite a bit lately. Making any friends?"

"I do not see how that's any of your business." Kallen said sharply as she closed the door, not missing the woman smiling despite how she was being treated.

Back inside her room Kallen sighed and leaned against the door. "Just go will you."

She hated treating her mother like this but she needed to realize she was better than being a servant to the bitch of the house and was better off just leaving this house. Her weak will would become weaker if Kallen treated her like an actual human being than a pathetic servant to someone who didn't give a damn about her.

Xxx

"I know it's for wealth fare but why waste it on the Elevens?"

"That's why I'm selling it to you my friend. The Eleven population could use a little thinning out if you ask me."

Outside the warehouse a three cloaked figures followed by man and woman dressed in black ran across the catwalk leading to the upper floor of the warehouse.

"Your payment will be transferred to your wife's account." The broker said with an amused smirk.

The group of strangers stopped in front of the door to the warehouse.

"Princess Cornelia is a soldier; this sort of thing doesn't interest her all that much." The buyer said with a smirk.

The two men looked up as the lights suddenly went out and gun shots rang out through the warehouse.

"Hit the lights! Someone turn them on!" The buyer cried out.

The drug dealer made it to the breaker and switched the lights back on. When he did both men were greeted with the shocking sight of the Black Knights standing catwalk above the truck.

"You're-" The buyer stuttered in shock. "You're the…"

Xxx

"The Black Knights!" Kallen suddenly sat up.

She wished she hadn't as she realized she had fallen asleep and woken up to see everyone staring at her and then laughing.

"That's not like you, dozing off in class like that." Shirley commented when class was over.

"Well I'm…" Kallen tried to think of a reasonable excuse.

"You could learn a thing or two from Lelouch. He's an expert at sleeping in class." Rivalz pointed out.

"Uh?" Kallen turned and looked over at Lelouch who was staring out the window. "He's not sleeping now is he?"

"One way to find out." Naruto smirked as he held up a soda can and walked over to Lelouch and held it over his head.

"Do it and die." Lelouch muttered as he opened his eyes.

"Guess that answers your question, Kallen." Naruto commented.

"I don't know what he's up to night after night. But he sleeps through half of them these days." Rivalz smiled.

"Oh." Kallen raised a single eyebrow.

Her previous suspicions came back but she shrugged them off.

Xxx

"The E.U. is starting an offensive along the Alamein front. We can't go on dragging our feet around here. I want to solidify domestic affairs. It's high time Area Eleven was made a satellite nation. For that to happen we need to stomp out terrorism." Cornelia said to Euphemia as they stood in front of some cargo trains. "But another problem is the rampant use of Refrain amongst the Elevens. Productivity from the Elevens is plummeting. It is coming from in on the Chinese Federation's Kyushu route. We have to put an end to it."

"Yes, but be careful." Euphemia said, always one to be worried about her sister.

"You as well, I don't want you leaving the settlement." Cornelia replied, having become paranoid since the hostage crisis.

"Cornelia, what about Zero and the Black Knights?" Euphemia asked curiously.

"I will let them roam free for a bit longer. I owe them that much for saving your life." Cornelia's gaze softened as she reached and softly caressed her sister's cheek. "However, upon my return, once I clean up this area I'll entrust it to you. Try to stay out of harm's way from now, alright Euphie? Zero might not have killed you at the hotel but he still used you as a political tool in his crusade. That pathetic dog Kusakabe wouldn't say anything about Zero and the information about the JLF was false, making us waste our time meaning they might be working together somehow even if Zero helped rescue you and the other hostages."

"All right, sister." Euphemia nodded.

As Cornelia walked away Euphemia could not help but think of that night.

Xxx

"_Because Clovis was an offspring of the Britannian Emperor. That reminds me,_" _Zero pulled out a pistol and pointed it at her. "You're one of his children too, aren't you?"_

_"That is enough." Suddenly Seizan was in front of Zero with his hand on the pistol. "I will not let you kill her."_

Xxx

'When he spoke to me that night what was he alluding to?' Euphemia thought. 'Suzaku, what would you make of all this, what's Zero's doing and of me?'

Xxx

"Man this double life is killer." Kallen yawned as she walked up to the door to the Student Council room, leaning her hand against the wall.

"Suzaku, Rivalz, hold him down!" Milly's voice shouted on the other side of the door.

"Damn it, Suzaku. Cut it out!" Lelouch yelled.

"Oh come on, Lelouch. I'm sure you'll look cute all dressed up like that." Tsunade's voice teased as Kallen opened the door.

"Sorry Lelouch but it's the President's orders." Suzaku said.

"Yeah like you're not enjoying this at all?" Lelouch retorted.

The scene was not what she was expecting.

Almost everyone was wearing cat theme costumes as Suzaku and Rivalz had Lelouch tied down to a chair so Shirley could paint whiskers on his face.

"Would you hold still?" Shirley asked irritably as Lelouch struggled to get out of Rivalz and Suzaku's grip.

Nina was wearing a yellow cat head that covered her head and mid back as she continued working at her computer, seemingly ignoring everything else. Suzaku was wearing a blue hoot cat costume with a spot painted over his right eye and cat whisker marks drawn on his cheeks.

"Good-meowing." Milly waved a pawed hand at Kallen with a mischievous smile.

Milly had black cat ears and pars with a black furry outfit that showed off her figure with white fur along the chest, black mid-thigh stockings, and black boots with slight pink edges.

"Good morning, I guess." Kallen said carefully.

She had been on Student Council long enough to know of Milly's crazy schemes.

"Oh, hi Kallen." Shirley finished drawing on Lelouch's face.

Shirley was a pink cat outfit that showed off her mid-rift, pink shorts with a tail, fur-lined boots, arm-warmers, and pink cat ears with her hair in pig tails.

"What is all of this?" Kallen asked.

"What do you mean? It's a welcome party for Arthur and Tsunade's cat, Matatabi." Rivalz answered while said cats yawned from their spots.

Arthur sat on top of a scratching post while Matatabi rested on C.C.'s lap.

Rivalz wore a yellow hooded cat costume with various brown spots and the top half of the cat's head on his face.

"Sounds like fun." Kallen commented quietly.

"Well classes are postponed so we might as well do something fine." Milly replied.

"I set some stuff for you." Shirley pointed to a rack full of cat themed costumes. "Over there, to make up for me getting upset with you before. Go on, take your pick."

"Yes, Kallen. What do you think your costume would be?"

Kallen looked the other side of the room and saw C.C., wearing black cat ears, a tail, and a black sleeveless cat-like dress that reached down to her thighs. Her yellow eyes seemed to go perfectly with the outfit and her grin sent a shiver through Kallen's body.

"Tsunade, don't tease her."

Kallen looked and saw Naruto at the other end of the room wearing…fox ears and paws with a fox tail. "Naruto?"

"Don't ask." Naruto answered Kallen's unasked question.

"I never believed Naruto was a cat person so I asked Milly to get him a fox costume." Tsunade smirked. "Doesn't he look so much better than a cat?"

"You tricked me." Naruto sulked, looking so much like a pouting fox.

"Oh, he's so cute!" Milly ran up and hugged Naruto. "And those whisker marks…"

She ran a hand across the marks making Naruto groan and make…

"Naruto, are you purring?" Milly asked with a _very_ interested look.

"No!" Naruto quickly said.

"He loves it when someone does that." Tsunade said with a smile so mischievous it actually made everyone safer around Milly. "He sounds like a kitten and looks so cute."

"Sounds it like you're speaking from experience." Milly grinned as Naruto blushed.

"I do. It's the reward I give him for giving me a fully body massage or when I wake up him up in the morning." C.C. said, smirking as almost everyone turned red.

'Too much information.' Kallen and Shirley thought.

'Doesn't she know anything about restraint?' Lelouch thought, not needing to know what they did under the same roof as him and his sister.

He actually wished Nunnally was still blind so she didn't wheel in on them doing something and get mentally scarred.

"Oh." Milly's grin widened as she kept on stroking the markings on Naruto's cheeks. "So if I do this can I get a massage?"

"Sure. Come on over tonight and we can both get one." C.C. smirked at the gob-smacked expression on Naruto's face. "But if you ask for anything more you'll have to get us ramen and pizza. His service is not free."

"That lucky dog." Rivalz whispered to Lelouch who was considering moving Nunnally and himself to an apartment.

The way C.C. was looking it was like she was literally inviting Milly to have some 'fun' with her and-

'Oh crap now it's in my head!' Lelouch shuddered. 'Get out, get out, get out!'

"Well, then hurry and pick your costume, Kallen." Milly said, gesturing to the rack.

"She doesn't need a costume." Lelouch spoke as Shirley finished painting his face. "You're already wearing a mask, right?"

'Way to be subtle, Lelouch.' Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You really are a riot, you know that?" Kallen said, equally irritated with Lelouch as Naruto. "You ought to be on television."

"What do you think Miss TV star?" Rivalz asked, glancing at Shirley.

"Oh, I thought she meant Lelouch." Suzaku commented.

"Would you quit joking about that? The whole thing's a huge pain in the butt. We've been hounded with questions day and night. Even in the bath." Shirley complained, shuddering at all the times she and the others had been asked questions about the Black Knights. "We haven't even been able to leave school grounds in a week."

"Not that I don't feel for you but I don't see why we can't leave either." Rivalz pointed out to Milly, speaking on behalf of himself, Lelouch, Suzaku, Naruto, and C.C.

"Hm. That's the prize of friendship. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it matters not that we were born apart, upon this day we die as one." Milly crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she smiled.

"Is that your idea of a love poem?" Rivalz questioned.

"If I go down then we all do." Milly smirked as she waved her paw at Rivalz.

"That's a little dark. Right Suzaku?" Rivalz looked at Suzaku. "Uh?"

"I'm glad." Suzaku for some reason was tearing up. "That we could all be together again. You know like this?"

"Geez, Suzaku, man up. No one likes a cry baby." Naruto rolled his eyes.

Lelouch smiled and would have said something if not for the fact that Rivalz grabbed his shoulders and hopped over him and pulled Suzaku into a head lock. "Come on! We're supposed to be unwinding here!" He tripped and both him and Suzaku fell onto the ground causing everyone to laugh.

"That's what so refreshing about Suzaku though." Shirley smiled.

"Yeah but once in a while you just want him to get a clue you know?" Milly asked.

"Oh, sorry about that." Suzaku said as Rivalz pushed his cheek.

"Aw, you love it putty cat." Rivalz said in a baby tone that made everyone, including Nina laugh.

'It's so funny to think I helped save their lives.' Kallen smiled as she thought what had happened in the last few weeks. 'Ever since we made our big splash at the hotel jacking the Black Knights have taken the world by storm. We've become a friend to the weak just as Zero proclaimed we would. Terrorists who involve civilians and overbearing military, criminal syndicates and corrupt politicians and profiteers. If the law would not punish them then we would. In the blink of an eye, we've become heroes. Support for us has swelled; we've even gotten our hands on some Knightmares again. Of course no one could show that in public because…'

Kallen remembered how a mother scolded her child for pretending to be Zero.

'Because our leader Zero had killed Prince Clovis. There are many in our ranks who wish to know his true identity and the identity of his two Knights, Seizan and Shinyroku, myself included. But if we push too hard I suspect that they would vanish. And without them I'm fairly certain we'd be finished.'

"By the way, everyone I should let you know something." Tsunade spoke up, earning their attention. "My mother's applied for a job as the school doctor here and the Principal approved when he looked through her background."

"Your mother?" Lelouch asked, not expecting something like that.

"Yes. She's a doctor, a very skilled doctor. Enough that even Britannian clients have asked for her help." Tsunade nodded.

"You mean she's…" Shirley trailed off causing Nina to glance from her computer.

"Yes she is. I told you before, I'm half Britannian." C.C. shrugged. "Not that my father really cared when he met my mother, especially since she saved his life."

"Saved his life?" Kallen asked, now sounding curious.

"He was struck by a rare illness that would have resulted in a slow death with declining health if my mother hadn't been able to figure out how to treat it. Before Britannia established Area Eleven she traveled all across the country studying up on how to be a healer. Her medical skills have attracted numerous Britannian nobles who have gone to her secretly but led her to building up a lot of favors." C.C. explained. "My father offered her a private clinic, believing her skills would be better spent inside the settlement than in the Ghettos where she would have been in danger if anyone had figured out she both treated Elevens and Britannians."

"Why would she treat both?" Lelouch asked, playing along.

"Doctor's oath." C.C. simply answered. "She's healer first and she sticks by it. Personally I think she's just coming as an excuse to check up on me for the whole hostage incident. She can be quite…the handful."

"Makes sense to me." Suzaku offered, apparently approving of C.C.'s mother for her convictions. "Nice to know she's doing so well."

"Yes, if you mean having to work behind closed curtains." C.C. sighed as she stood up with a resigned look on her face. "The only reason I believe she hasn't left because father compromised with her that if he set up a clinic for her and kept herself hidden she'd get free reign to run it in any way she wanted with all the funds at her disposal. Wouldn't be good for nobles to hear that the best doctor in the settlement was an Eleven now would it?"

They all watched as C.C. walked out of the room.

"She seems a little upset." Shirley said with a sad look on her face. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really. She's just hoping her mother doesn't embarrass her too much." Naruto shrugged with a small smile. "Call me crazy but the life of a noble ain't always as cracked up as it sounds."

'Don't I know it.' Kallen thought as she stared at the door Tsunade had left.

Lelouch was staring at the door too but for different reasons. 'What are they up to? That story…Did they call someone here without telling me?'

None of them knew that Naruto and C.C. were mentally snickering in their heads. When the war was done they should think of taking a career in acting.

"Oh, looks like she's here." Naruto spotted a car stopping in front of the school. "Want to say hi?"

"Sure, why not?" Milly asked with a smile. "She sounds like an interesting woman."

Xxx

The car stopped in the parking lot as Principal Ruben Ashford walked out with the Student Council behind him to greet the new employer at the school. As soon as the driver door opened the person stepped out, allowing everyone to see her.

"Holy…" Rivalz jaw nearly detached itself from his face. "She's…she's…hot!"

"That's Tsunade's mother?" Kallen asked, feeling a little insecure.

"Wow." Milly commented with intrigued smile. "I wonder if she has some kind of formula that lets her grow those."

"Madame President! Don't say things like that!" Shirley scolded but secretly wondered the same thing.

"Wow." Suzaku actually blushed and covered his eyes. "Mustn't stare. It'd be rude."

Lelouch was silent but he had to struggle not to stare…

For C.C.'s so called mother was drop dead gorgeous.

She had brown eyes with blond hair that fell mid-back and was tied in twin pigtails. She wore blue pants, a white shirt unbuttoned at the top with a green jacket. Her skin was smooth and fair with a touch of pink lipstick on her lips but what caught everyone's attention(especially Rivalz's) was the size of her large bust barely hidden by her blouse.

"Welcome to Ashford, Mrs. Senju." Ruben offered her hand which she shook. "I heard many good things about you."

"Ah, knowing my daughter half of it was not true." The woman laughed as she looked at the crowd. "Speaking of which…"

"Here we go." C.C. sighed dramatically and walked out of the crowd. "Hello, Mother."

"TSU-CHAN!" The woman rushed forward and picked C.C. up in a tight hug. "There you are!"

"Holy crap!" Rivalz envied C.C. very much right now. "Look at them! That hugging…"

"Have you found someone else, Rivalz?" Milly asked, a sudden hint of steal in her voice.

"Uh-no! Not at all!" Rivalz quickly answered.

C.C.'s mother finally put her down, allowing the green haired a girl a chance to breath but she didn't seem bothered at all. "So, tell me. Have you and Naruto taken the next step? Will I be expecting little grandchildren to spoil?"

"HUH?!" Shirley and Kallen gaped. 'Did she seriously ask that question?'

"No, Mother. We agreed until after graduation." C.C. answered, completely calm despite the outrageous question. "For now it's just massages and the occasional quickies."

That made everyone blush with Nina taking a step back as her face went tomato red.

"Oh dear. I was so looking forward to the good news." The woman looked at the Student Council. "So is this Student Council you've told me about?"

"Yes. The walking stick is Lelouch, he offered to let us stay at the clubhouse." C.C. pointed at Lelouch who frowned but offered his hand.

"A pleasure, Mrs. Senju."

"Mito. Just call me Mito." The woman shook his hand. "Now then, shall we get my office set up?"

"Of course, Mrs. Senju." To his credit Principal Ashford didn't seem affected by the woman's antics, probably because of the antics of his granddaughter. "This way please."

"Oh, a gentlemen." Mito smiled as she followed him into the school.

"She's an interesting one." Suzaku commented with a nervous smile.

"Yeah." Lelouch watched as Mito walked away. "Very interesting."

As they walked away Mito shared a grin that Naruto mirrored while C.C. had a small mischievous smile on her face as C.C. and Naruto's eyes turned into the Rinnegan while Mito's eyes became turquoise for an instant.

Screwing with Lelouch and the students was fun.

Xxx

"What are you up to?" Lelouch took off his cat ears as he followed C.C. and Naruto onto the roof. "I know the person that's here is not Tsunade's 'mother'."

"Don't act so suspicious, Lelouch. We're just asking for 'someone' to come who will be a great help to us." Naruto said in a reassuring tone.

"And you're only telling this now?" Lelouch narrowed his eyes.

"Better now than later." C.C. shrugged.

"Who is this person?" Lelouch wanted to know who it was they called.

"No spoilers, even for the great Zero." C.C. waved one finger at the former prince. "You'll just have to wait and see along with everyone else."

Lelouch grunted, not liking it when C.C. or Naruto did something like this. As war advisors they had both proven themselves to highly effective and valuable but at the same time they liked to go off on their own from time to time leaving him to wonder what they were scheming and it was sometimes very frustrating.

"What about you? What are your plans regarding Cornelia? So far she's stopped targeting Japanese resistance groups since what happened at Lake Kawaguchi. Either she's planning a new strategy or something's caught her attention." Naruto changed the subject.

"Hmm…It's obvious she's focusing on the shipments of Refrain." Lelouch replied, ignoring Naruto changing the subject. "With the Black Knights dealing with all known criminal activity in Area Eleven she's leaving us alone for a bit since Refrain decreases productivity from working Elevens. Cornelia's a soldier; she doesn't have time to deal with small time crooks."

"And the Chinese Federation is the most likely suspect for smuggling in Refrain." C.C. offered her own views. "It's easy for nobility to be bribed to look the other way."

"Great. What does this drug do anyways?" Naruto asked.

"It allows the user to re-experience the happiest moments of their life and like all drugs it forces them to become dependent on it." Lelouch answered.

"Who designed a drug like that?"

"Knowing V.V. it was probably a product of the Geass Directorate." C.C. answered causing both to look at her.

"And why is that?" Lelouch asked curiously.

"The Geass Directorate has been studying Geass for a long time now and in that time many of its members of produced unique Geass that V.V wished to study and he has no qualms about experimenting on them to the point that they would die." C.C. explained.

"So this Refrain could have come from someone who's Geass made people relive happy memories." Naruto scowled. "They must be selling it to the Numbers to use them as test subjects."

"Not for long." Lelouch spoke up. "We're ending it."

Xxx

"Why would the mass flock around those who saved Euphemia?" Shogo Asahina asked, annoyed by the fame of the Black Knights.

Kyoshiro Todoh and the Four Holy Swords, members of the Japanese Liberation Front sat together in an important meeting, discussing the Black Knights.

"Even Kyoto said that they would send the Black Knights the Guren Mk II." Ryoga Senba muttered.

"To those would be Robin Hoods?" Kotetsu Urabe scoffed.

"They're not part of the resistance. Handing Kusakabe over to Cornelia to be tortured and interrogated was proof of that." Nagisa Chiba stated.

"It's not like he was coming back after the stunt he pulled." Senba pointed out.

"In any case, Lieutenant Colonel Todoh, we can't let this stand." Urabe pointed out.

Todoh however remained silent with his eyes closed in thought.

Xxx

"Mistress Kallen. Mistress Kallen."

Kallen walked down the stairs as the maid called out to her and saw the front door was open with someone waiting for her.

"Madam President? Naruto?" Kallen asked when she saw Milly and Naruto.

"I just dropped by to give you something." Milly shrugged.

"And I offered to come along because I had nothing better to do." Naruto smiled.

"Where would you like me to show them to? The parlor perhaps? Or maybe-" The maid asked.

"We'll be in my room." Kallen answered coldly.

"As you wish." The maid bowed her head.

"Oh." A voice made them look up to see a woman walking down the stairs.

She had long blond hair held up straight with a red band with a strand falling over the left side of her face while dressed a purple dress that showed off her status and she stared at them with icy blue eyes.

"I thought I heard voices and I see you have brought friends over, one of them even being a boy. Is he the reason you've been out all night and missing school, not to mention all your visits to the Ghetto. You're lucky your father's back in the homeland." The woman said rudely. "No fighting one's blood is there?"

The maid flinched and took a step back. Naruto glared at the woman with a harsh look, instantly hating her.

'Great, another rich obnoxious bitch.' Naruto thought.

"You're the one enjoying Dad not being here, aren't you?" Kallen countered with a scowl.

The woman scowled at Kallen's tone and would have said something if not for the sound of something breaking.

"Oh dear. What have I done?" The maid gasped as she looked down at the broken vase.

"What's wrong with you?" The woman demanded angrily.

"Forgive me, milady, forgive me." The maid pleaded as she started to pick up the pieces.

"Can't you do anything right? Besides selling your body that is." The woman sneered.

Kallen threw one look at the maid before leading Milly and Naruto up to her room. Naruto glanced at the maid, sensing feelings of anger, sadness, regret, and,,,

'She's happy.' Naruto thought as the maid smiled up at Kallen when the red haired girl wasn't looking. 'She's happy about Kallen.'

"Quite the complicated home life you live, isn't it?" Milly asked with a weak smile.

"So what is it you wanted to give me?" Kallen asked, changing the subject.

"Grandfather asked me to pass this on." Milly pulled a smaller letter out of her bag.

"You mean the principal?" Kallen asked curiously.

"Your transcripts since middle school." Milly slid the letter across the table to Kallen. "I thought I'd better give them to you off of school ground."

Kallen gasped slightly as she stared down at the letter before looking up at Kallen. "So my secret's out then, isn't it? That I'm actually an Eleven and Britannian half breed. That was my stepmother down there. My real mother was that clod of a maid who knocked over the vase."

She finished transcripts and slid them back to Milly.

"And your father, is he the head of the Stadfeld family?" Milly asked.

"My mother is such a fool. In the end she wound up a servant. She doesn't have any real skills, no matter who's ridiculing her all she can do is laugh like it's nothing." Kallen looked down at the table with disappointed look on her face. "She didn't have to choose to stay in this house you know? She's just clinging to some old lover who's jilted her."

Milly heard the anger in Kallen's voice at the end. "You really hate your mother don't you?"

"I just find her depressing." Kallen picked up the tea pot and poured some tea to calm herself down and for her guests.

"Well this is getting a little heavy." Milly looked out the window. "Imagine, the wife, the daughter, and the other woman all living together."

"Yeah, I'm not going there." Naruto shook his head.

"Ah, could be worse." Kallen shrugged it off. "Three square meals and a roof right? I mean it's not unbearable, most of the time anyway."

"That's good." Milly smiled. "Have you told Naruto or Tsunade about this? I'm sure they can relate."

"Yeah except we don't have a bitch for a stepmother living in our house." Naruto quickly pointed out and glanced at Kallen. "No offence."

"None taken. And Tsunade did after all have no problem talking about her parents. I wonder though, if she's at all happy with the way her mother's living. Forced to work behind closed door and probably only being a doctor anyone who's important." Kallen thought back to the way Tsunade's mother had been when she arrived. "She seems…free spirited."

"Yeah. Not what you expected at all, huh?" Milly chuckled. "Tsunade must be really use to it if she didn't even react."

"Everyone's family has their own baggage." Naruto commented. "Tsunade hasn't had to put up with too much grief but she doesn't talk about it with anyone and I've only seen a few glimpses."

"Still, some things in life we can bear on our own, but when you add 'em all up they eventually break you." Milly said thoughtfully as Kallen looked at her. "Oh don't worry. I won't lie, I'm always hungry for secrets but I'd never talk about this."

Milly took a sip of her tea.

Xxx

"I can't believe you teared up." Lelouch said from the Student Council table while reading a magazine. "It's embarrassing."

"It's called honesty." Suzaku retorted, flitching as Arthur bit him again.

Matatabi purred and mentally smirked as Arthur was put on top of the fire place next to her.

"Well good thing the Black Knights were to save 'em. That's all I can say." Lelouch glanced over his shoulder for a second.

He noticed Suzaku seemingly freeze for a second.

"If they wanted to catch criminals they could have joined the police force you know." Suzaku pointed out. "Why don't they I wonder."

Lelouch glowered as the cat meowed and looked back at his magazine. "They probably don't think the cops are up to the job. I tend to agree."

"The police may not be effective right now but they could evoke change from within." Suzaku turned around, sounding frustrated from the endless talk of Zero and the Black Knights.

"Yeah and in the process they get all tangled up in red tape and bureaucracy." Lelouch answered swiftly.

"If they had done everything in their power to change things that might hold water." Suzaku said as Matatabi waved her paw at him, seemingly trying to smack him. "As long as they don't then all of it's just self-righteous posturing."

"Self-righteous?" Lelouch looked back at Suzaku.

"And what constitutes evil in their eyes? What standards are they using? It's nothing but self satisfying gratification." Suzaku would have continued if the door hadn't opened, allowing Shirley to walk in.

"Oh, it's just you two?" Shirley asked as Suzaku stood up.

"Anyways, I guess I gotta go back to the base pretty soon. See ya around, Shirley." Suzaku smiled at her as he walked out of the room.

"Later." Shirley called out with a smile as Suzaku left.

Lelouch watched as Suzaku left and turned back to his book.

Turning around to face Lelouch Shirley tried to draw upon her confidence.

"So Lulu," The orange haired girl began, trying to once more ask Lelouch out without freezing up. "I was, um, I was thinking if you had some time, you and I-"

"'Back to base,'" Lelouch muttered, cutting Shirley off, anger clearly evident in his tone of voice. "Now that was an interesting choice of words."

Shirley saw how annoyed Lelouch was and was surprised by how differently he was acting from his usual self.

"'Go back', implying that's where he thinks he belongs." Lelouch spat.

Xxx

"Refrain?"

Kallen had gone to the shopping district of the Tokyo Settlement, needing to get out of that woman's house and get some fresh air for a bit. She called Ohgi, wondering if Zero had another mission for them yet.

"_It's a psychotropic, makes you think you've gone back to the past._" Ohgi answered.

"Must be all the rage here in Japan." Kallen remarked in distaste at the Japanese being further exploited,

"_Yeah, well who doesn't long for the days before the occupation, right?_" Ohgi remarked humourlessly.

"Hm." Kallen frowned.

"_The stuff was specifically targeted at the Japanese so we can't very well ignore it. Soon as the Burais are stocked we move._"

"Supplies keep rolling in and I hear lots of people are ready to join us. Black Knights sure are popular, huh?" Kallen remarked.

"_Well, we are the Heroic Knights for justice. I'll call you when the ammo gets here._"

Kallen nodded, even though Ohgi couldn't see her and hung up.

She could finally take the fight to Britannia, rather than attacking from the shadows while Zero's personal knights fought the Knightmares. She decided to leave because she would have a long night and needed to get as much rest as she needed. She didn't get far though.

She spotted a group of Britannian street thugs beating on a Japanese man wearing a Hotdog Vendor uniform.

"Come on Eleven, say something," A Britannian, who had his jacket open and hanging off his shoulders, said as he kicked the downed Eleven.

"You are sorry, aren't ya?" A second Britannian said who had a grey vest and short cut grey colored hair.

"Bowing your heads is what you Elevens do best, right?" A third Britannian added snidely, this one had blonde hair that went just above his shoulders with a vest and tie over his reddish colored shirt.

"Eleven," Kallen muttered, ready to attack but a hand on her shoulder stopped her and she whirled around in response to see a familiar head of raven hair and violet eyes. "Lelouch?"

"No, there's five of them." Lelouch pointed out to her. "You wouldn't stand a chance at all."

"So you think I should just ignore it?" Kallen asked him, barely managing to conceal her anger.

"Go on," Lelouch said gesturing to the vender with his head. "Take a good look at that Eleven."

While Kallen unhappily did as he asked her, and turned to look at the scene just in time to see the Eleven being kicked in the head. She looked at the hotdog on the man's uniform and the hotdog cart just a couple feet away from where he was lying, being kicked by the five Britannian males.

"If we intervene and help him win, he wouldn't be able to sell a thing tomorrow." Lelouch observed indifferently, "It was his choice to become a Britannian slave, that's just the price you pay for working in the settlement."

"Well even so…" Kallen murmured.

"It's not easy to have to sit back and watch someone suffer like this." Naruto's voice said from behind the two of them, catching her _and_ Lelouch by surprise.

Behind them Naruto was holding a few bags with C.C. looping one arm around his left arm. Naruto was wearing a black T-shirt with a black and orange jacket with blue pants while C.C.'s hair was out of its pony tail and she was dressed in a white and blue sundress and white sandals on her feet while a white hat covered her head.

"I'm no stranger to this and it really pisses me off." Naruto stated with a cold look at the punks attacking the vendor.

"You got a problem over there?" Kallen turned and saw the thugs walking over to them. "You're not feeling sorry for this Eleven are ya?"

"Nah." Another said. "They feel the same way we do, don't you guys?"

"Not quite." Lelouch chuckled as he activated his Geass. "But you're tired of beating up on Elevens, aren't you?"

Naruto and C.C. both watched as Lelouch's Geass easily took hold of the thugs while Kallen had no clue of what was going on.

"Yeah, this is boring." The first Britannian said, as he and his friends turned to leave.

"You guys wanna hit the arcade?" The second member asked.

"I got no cash." The third complained.

"Well they got bored pretty quick, huh." Lelouch said amusedly.

'You're just lucking she wasn't looking or she might have figured what was happening.' Naruto thought, wondering why Lelouch would bother when he could have just let Naruto give their asses the kicking they deserved.

Kallen didn't pay Lelouch much attention, as she rushed past him to help the injured Hotdog seller.

"Hey, are you all right?" Kallen asked gently.

The Hotdog seller was at first surprised that anyone was helping him, but when he looked up the first thing he noticed was the Ashford crest on Kallen's tie.

"Huh, a Britannian student!" He greeted with a forced smile. "What can I get for you, how about a nice California hotdog, miss?" He then noticed Lelouch, Naruto, and C.C. "Are these your friends? I can get them something too. I have ice cream if you like."

"Here." Naruto slapped several dollar bills onto the counter. "We'll each have a scoop of ice cream please."

"Yes sir!" The vendor quickly handed four ice cream cones to the teens while Naruto slapped several dollar bills on the table. "Uh, sir-"

"Keep the change." Naruto said as he and C.C. turned and walked away. "Have a nice day."

"Th-thank you." The man stuttered in shock.

"Did you tip him with a hundred dollars?" C.C. asked, earning Lelouch and Kallen's surprised attention.

"I thought it was just a few twenties." Naruto said with a foxy smirk.

Kallen was surprised that Naruto would do such a thing but offered a small smile as she licked her ice cream. "Why'd you do that?"

Naruto took a lick of his own ice cream. "Do what?"

"Help him like that. Why would you do that?" Kallen asked.

"Why not? It's not like I support the whole Number system. In fact I find it to be completely foolish and self-destructive." Naruto shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Kallen wondered suddenly just who was Naruto and his girl friend.

"The whole reason the Japanese or the Elevens as the idiots in this town call them are fighting is because not only was their land stolen but so was their pride, history, culture, and even their name. It's actions like these that foster hatred that is passed down from generation to generation, creating terrorists and resistance fighters that would do anything to see Britannia forced off their homeland, even it means committing heinous acts, like killing unharmed civilians and god forbid not caring if they were Britannian citizens or Japanese." Naruto explained.

Kallen flinched as she knew of several resistance groups that had done that. She may hate Britannians but she never condoned attacking civilians, especially children. She then stopped and realized Naruto had said Japanese, not Elevens.

"It can't be helped though." Lelouch sat down on a bench. "It's not the vendor's fault his family were born as Elevens and it's because of that he's lucky to scrape by. It's sad, though because in some ways Area Eleven is better than the old Japan ever was."

"What?" Kallen gaped at Lelouch, wondering what would make him say such a thing while C.C. raised one eyebrow and Naruto glanced at Lelouch.

"Being made a colony of the Empire has stabilized the military and economic position in the world. Elevens can even attain full citizenship through the legal process. It's easy to become an Honorary Britannian, it's just a question of pride really. Though, I can certainly understand why they resist." Lelouch explained.

"It's actually a lot more than pride, if you consider how eager the military was to pin Prince Clovis's murder on Suzaku. If not for Zero they would have executed an innocent man, all because he's not a true Britannian. Becoming an Honorary Britannian doesn't really change anything; you're still an Eleven, thus making you lower than trash and it makes things convenient of who to blame if and when things go wrong." Naruto pointed out with a small scowl. "Who wants to believe an Honorary Britannian being innocent of a crime when he's accused by a full blooded Britannian? And the government just expects them to accept it, not caring if they will fight because in their mind the Elevens aren't capable of anything since they 'lost' the war. That's the kind of thinking that breeds hatred and causes wars even if it's just small scale resistance."

Kallen looked at both of them. "And?"

"Hm?" Naruto and Lelouch glanced at Kallen.

"Knowing all that, what do Lelouch Lamperouge and Naruto Uzumaki think about it at all? What do you wanna do?"

"Wanna do? Are you asking us if a bunch of students plan to do something about it?" Naruto asked with a curious tone in his voice as he looked at Kallen. "And what makes you think we can do anything about it? We're just a trio of students, two of us being half-breeds. What good are we?"

"That doesn't answer my question. What do you think you should do?" Kallen asked, pressing forward slightly.

"Nothing." Lelouch answered. "There's no point to it."

Kallen narrowed her eyes, glaring at Lelouch. "You know, you've got a lot of brains but you don't seem to be doing much with them. It's all Shirley talks about, saying how intelligent you are but how you ever really apply yourself."

"That's why I don't do anything." Lelouch shrugged. "The Eleven back there could tell you. He could lead a better life as long as he bows his head to Britannia."

'That's funny, considering he does the opposite when he's Zero.' Naruto thought as Kallen slapped Lelouch across the face.

"You must think you're pretty cool huh?" Kallen said angrily. "Just playing critic and judging the world from the sidelines. Shirley is wrong to expect anything more from you. And I thought you were a better man this, but I guess I was wrong."

She stomped off, leaving the three to stare at her as she left.

"Wow…For someone who's got tons of girls crushing on him you suck at dealing with the female gender, huh?" Naruto commented with a small smile.

"Seems so." Lelouch smirked as he rubbed his cheek. "At least that'll erase any lingering suspicions she has about me being Zero."

"You did that just because she still might have thought you were Zero? And here I thought you were open to having a social life." C.C. remarked.

"Zero can't afford to be discovered by anyone. It's too soon to even consider the chance." Lelouch replied.

"Even if she doesn't put two and two together that you somehow made the bullies stop attacking the vendor by simply asking them she might think you were using the same power Zero said he could use when making eye contact." Naruto pointed out.

"Zero's power commands, all I did was offer a suggestion." Lelouch answered. "And with Kallen's dislike of me she won't believe that I have any connection."

"And now what?" Naruto asked. "Locate those drug dealers and stop their operations?"

"Yes. With the Refrain productions stopped the nobility in Area Eleven will be unable to continue getting dirty money from desperate Elevens." Lelouch nodded.

"And if we steal the money we could use it for our operations." C.C. pointed out which Naruto and Lelouch agreed.

Money and resources were needed to finance the Black Knights and their resistance movement.

"What about Cornelia? Won't she be cracking down on these drug dealers?" Naruto asked, wondering why Cornelia hadn't been arresting the drug dealers herself.

"Cornelia's more of a soldier than a politician. She has no patience for this kind of stuff and she probably has left Euphemia in charge of trying to deal with the corruption in the justice system." Lelouch frowned.

"Great, a war hawk with a moral code with no patience for politics what so ever." Naruto closed his eyes. "On the plus side that's a major improvement but unless she cleans up this mess it won't matter if she defeats Zero and the Black Knights because this corruption will still be here."

"Which works to our advantage." Lelouch smirked.

Xxx

"Sir, about this Orange thing." Villetta started.

She and Jeremiah were both at a bar, enjoying a few drinks to take their minds off the stress they've endured for the last few weeks. They had been working to discover just who might be under Zero's payroll and to their disappointment they hadn't found a single person who displayed any strange or erratic behavior that would make them a suspect. It was annoying to say the least since Cornelia was giving the Purists a second chance and they were not making any progress.

Jeremiah grunted and Villetta quickly tried to calm him. "Sorry to bring it up. Is it true though? That you can't remember about when Private Suzaku Kururugi was taken?"

"I don't expect you to believe me." Jeremiah answered with his eyes closed.

"No, it's just that…During the whole Shinjuku Incident I suffered some sort of memory lapse also." Villetta explained.

"You did?" Jeremiah glanced at her with a surprised look on his face.

"By the time I regained my senses my Sutherland had been stolen. But right before that entire gap in my memory I remember running into some high school kid." Villetta looked down at the counter and then back at Jeremiah.

"So you think it was that student?" Jeremiah asked.

"I can't remember his face but those two advanced Knightmares that helped Zero rescue Private Kururugi were with him. There might still be a way to get to the bottom of this." Villetta said, a plan forming in her mind.

Xxx

"What the hell is Zero thinking? After all his talk of bringing down Britannia. He's just got us running around, helping the police." Tamaki complained as the Black Knights waited behind a warehouse for Zero to show up.

"It still feels good to have the will of the people behind us though." Ohgi pointed out.

"Yeah, he's right. We're totally heroes on the net." Kento agreed.

"Are we in the right? I don't know anymore." Kallen muttered, hiding behind the group with her jacket draped over her back.

Lelouch and Naruto's words had been echoing in her head for the whole day, even now she could hear them.

"Kallen…" Ohgi glanced at her, wondering what was wrong.

Before he could ask her everyone spotted a blinking light in the darkness on the other side of warehouse.

"There's the signal from Zero." Yoshida whispered.

"I can't believe he got in there." Kento commented.

"How many tricks does this guy have up his sleeve anyway?" Tamaki wondered.

Xxx

Inside the warehouse workers were unloading the shipment of Refrain they had received.

"Is the shipment for Nagaya ready?"

"Nice and safe here in the Settlement huh?"

That was when their work was interrupted by bullets blasting through the steel door, taking out several Britannian workers as they scattered, crying out in shock. The door fell over, allowing the attackers to step in.

"The Black Knights have arrived!" Tamaki said as he began shooting.

Several guards tried to shoot back but as a red Knightmare, the new Guren Mk-II wheeled into the warehouse, firing its gun off at the Britannian drug dealers.

"A Knightmare?!" One of them shouted as they turned and ran for their lives.

"These Knightmares really are amazing. Each one is an army unto itself." Kallen nodded as she blasted through a door that tried to close. "Huh?"

The room was dark but Guren was equipped with night vision sensors, allowing Kallen to get a clear image of many Japanese people in the room, not one of them even glancing at the Guren's sudden entrance.

"Japan! Japan!"

"That's right; I'm getting married next month!"

"I'm being promoted!"

"Leave it to us! Japan is on the vanguard of technology!"

"Refrain…" Kallen muttered, now seeing its affects in action.

Her eyes spotted the same hot dog vendor she, Lelouch, Naruto, and C.C. met earlier today. "I'm studying abroad! I can't believe I got in!"

Kallen couldn't help but remember Milly's words. 'When add them all up they eventually break you.'

"That's right, which is why I'm here." Kallen declared, filled with anger for what was being done to all these people.

"Careful, it's dangerous to run like that."

That one voice made Kallen gasp as she recognized it instantly. The Guren's sensors angled down as someone stepped out in front of it.

"Mother?" Kallen asked, seemingly make the woman trip.

Kallen acted on instinct, catching the woman with the Guren's hand and lifted her up, in front of the cockpit.

"Really, Naoto, please. I need you to keep an eye on your little sister." The woman continued, still under the affects of the drug.

Kallen gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. "My god, how weak of a woman are you, Mother? First you give into Britannia and then into a man and now this. My brother is gone forever, let him go."

She was so focused on her mother that she didn't react in time as the Guren's right arm was shot off by another Knightmare.

Kallen looked over and spotted the perpetrator. "The Knight Police?!"

She quickly wheeled off as it fired at her again.

"Isn't that a police unit?" Minami asked as the rest of the group came into the room.

"They're in on this deal?" Ohgi looked over his shoulder. "Tamaki!"

"Don't look at me! When I checked there wasn't any police involved!" Tamaki retorted defensively.

"Corrupted filth." Zero spat.

Kallen wheeled through the warehouse, dodging the bullets being fired at her and was about to fire the gun on the Guren's left arm when she spotted her mother. "You're in the way! Damn it! I don't need you! I don't want you!"

She was sorely tempted to toss her mother to the side but she never got the chance as the white Glasgow fired at her legs and managed to make it trip. It skidded across the floor but suffered no damage as Kallen's mother fell out of the Guren's hand.

"Kallen…Naoto…" The woman muttered.

Kallen gritted her teeth as the Glasgow shot at her back.

Zero and the others made it around the corner to see the Guren down and under attack.

'My Geass won't work on a Knightmare.' Lelouch thought and turned to Naruto and C.C. "Seizan! Shinryoku! Hurry!"

"Hold on, Zero." Naruto stated, making no move to attack nor did C.C.

"Huh?" Lelouch gaped.

What was Naruto thinking? Why won't he move? The Glasgow finally stopped firing, tossing its gun aside and stomped over the Guren.

Kallen opened her eyes and looked at her mother. "Go on…Run!"

Her mother sat up and looked at her.

"Get moving you idiot!" Kallen shouted, not understanding why she wouldn't move.

"I'm here for you." Those four words made Kallen freeze. "I'm here for you, Kallen. I'm here as I always have been."

Kallen's eyes widened as her breath escaped her. All the images of her mother staying with her, being abused flooded her mind but the one thing that stood out was…

Her smile.

"Then that's…That's why you stayed in his house? You stayed there for me?" Kallen whispered with widened eyes as tears threatened to fall. "You fool!"

She grunted as the Guren shook while the Glasgow behind her pulled out a sword to finish her. That seemed to bring her back as she spun the Guren around and grabbing the Glasgow's arm before it stabbed her.

"Or maybe…I'm the fool." Kallen murmured as she opened her eyes.

She fired her Slash Harkens out and when they went through an open hole in a nearby shelf and into the wall she retracted them, pulling the Guren and Glasgow forward. The Guren slid through the hole while the Glasgow was slammed into the shelf, tearing its head off.

"Kallen!" Ohgi shouted as he and the rest of the group ran to the Guren.

Kallen opened her eyes and looked over to where her mother was.

"I'm so happy for you. You can finally become a Britannian now, Kallen. Nobody will ever be able to hurt you now, darling. And you're free to travel and use the phone anytime you want." The woman continued in her drugged state.

'So this…is her mother?' Lelouch wondered as he glanced at Seizan. 'Is that why you did not help, Naruto?'

"She needed to face this on her own. She now understands why her mother never left her, why any mother would never leave her child." Naruto answered.

'False tears bring pain to those around you. False smile brings pain to oneself.' C.C. thought as they simply stood and watched as Kallen ran over to her mother grabbing her in a tight hug as she began to cry.

Xxx

"It's an after effect of Refrain. She's unable to talk much. She'll recover eventually but it will take time." The nurse said.

Kallen simply looked at her mother who stared down at the bed. The nurse left to give them both some time alone.

"Mother, your sentence. You got twenty years." Kallen said, struggling to keep herself calm and quiet so no one would hear her. "But you wait! I'm working to change things when you get out. I swear to you, I'll make a world where you and I can live a normal life again. So please, mother…"

Kallen was about to tear up but stopped as her mother's hand reached to hers. "Hang in there."

"Uh?" Kallen looked at her mother.

"Hang in there, Kallen. My little girl." Her mother didn't change her facial expression but Kallen didn't care.

She held her mother's hand as she smiled. "I will…I promise you."

Xxx

Kallen left the hospital, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes as she walked down the street back to her home.

'At least she won't be bullied by the bitch of the house.' Kallen thought optimistically.

As she walked she had suddenly had the feeling she was being watched and she looked behind to see if she was right. However no one was following her, at least she couldn't see anyone behind her. She resumed her walking and made a quick turn into an alley as she reached for her pocket knife.

"Is that really necessary?"

Kallen spun around, ready to use her knife but stopped when she saw who it was. "Shinryoku?"

One of Zero's two personal Knights, the woman dressed in her black and grey armor, gray cloak, and avian mask covering her face stood in front of her. Kallen wondered how the cloaked woman was able to move so fast without being noticed but she supposed this woman's skills and her own immunity to Zero's Geass was what made her so valuable.

"Your mother…Will she be all right?" The masked woman asked, not sounding concerned even though she asked.

"Yes. She will be. I'll make sure of it." Kallen nodded, switching into 'soldier' mode. "Why have you come?"

"Come with me. I would like to show you something." Shinryoku held out her hand.

Kallen stared at the hand for a second before reaching out and touching it. Shinryoku dropped a kunai on the ground and in a flash of yellow light they both vanished.

Xxx

Kallen had no idea what happened to her but she moment her feet touched the ground she had the urge to throw up. She stepped back, groaning as she put a hand on her stomach.

"Don't worry. It happens to all first-timers." Shinryoku said casually.

"Wha-what was that?" Kallen managed to stand up straight and looked around. "This is…"

She was standing on the roof of Ashford Academy!

"Impressive, isn't it?" Shinryoku asked. "Able to instantly move from one location to the other."

Kallen looked at the masked woman. "How? Is this related to how you and Seizan are Zero's personal Knights? Does this have something to do with his Geass?"

"You are smart." Shinryoku commented as she took a step forward. "The answer to your question is yes but not completely. And right now this is about you."

"Me?"

"Why did you choose your Japanese heritage over your Britannian heritage?" The masked woman asked.

"Uh?" Kallen wasn't expecting that question. "What would ask me that? It's not like it's any of your business."

"You abused your own mother to make her leave when she was treated lower than trash by your stepmother while your father remains in the Homeland. I can't imagine him deciding to marry a bitch like her, meaning it must have been an arranged marriage after Britannia conquered Japan and reduced the Japanese, including your mother to mere Elevens."

Kallen bit back a growl in her throat but she glared at her leader's Knight. "How'd you find out?"

"Zero keeps us around for a reason. Now then, it's your turn." The woman said.

Kallen narrowed her eyes. "…I fight because my brother fought for Japan's freedom. He formed our group and he led us, kept us going…and he died." She trailed off for a moment. "I fight for my brother and his dream, for my mother and her wish to be with me in a normal life. I fight for my friends to make our dream of a free Japan a reality."

"A lofty goal." Shinryoku commented. "Now then, are you willing to give up even your own soul to fulfil your dream?"

"Huh?" Kallen was confused. "Of course. I'd give it my all. Why do you ask?"

"How do you think Zero achieved his Geass?" Shinryoku asked rhetorically. "Do you believe he was born with it or was he given it?"

Kallen's eyes widened. "Did you…you gave him that power?"

"And I can give you that power or another power as well that can help you in your quest to defeat Britannia. The power will be shaped by your desire in return for a favor." Shinryoku stated.

Kallen took a step back. "And what favor do you want from me?"

"I do not know yet. When the time comes I will tell you." Shinryoku held out her hand. "Do you accept this contract?"

"And what is this other power?" Kallen asked, wondering why she would be offered the kind of power Zero.

Shinryoku reached up to her mask and seemed to remove it, causing Kallen to gasp, but she only moved to the side to show her left eye.

An eye with a purple sclera with multiple black rings expanding out from the pupil in a ripple like manner and a purple bird like symbol glowing around the black dot that was the pupil.

"Wha-what is that? Is that Geass?" Kallen took a step back.

"It's a fusion of Geass, the Power of the King, and the Rinnegan, the Eyes of God." Shinryoku put her mask back on. "Both of which I and Seizan possess, allowing us great power that no one would believe could exist."

"Rinnegan?" Kallen whispered.

"Yes. And we can grant one of these two powers to anyone who chooses to accept a contract with us." Shinryoku said but in reality she was the only who could grant Geass or the Rinnegan.

The power of her Code left over from fusing her power with Naruto's.

"You have proven you what it takes to use one of these powers and so I offer to you, the Power of the King or Queen in your case or the Eyes of God. We shall see which power you earn if you accept."

Kallen stared at the hand and at the woman's masked face. "…I accept."

She shook Shinryoku's hand and in an instant the world as she knew it changed forever.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

Kallen gasped as she felt pain in her left eye, stepping back from Shinryoku as she put a hand over her eye. She gritted her teeth as she felt a burning sensation in her eye, seeing images of strange places and woman all dressed in white with bird like symbols on their heads. Then her mind was blank with two words repeating themselves:

Absolute.

Vision.

The pain faded away, allowing Kallen to pull her hand away and looked at the masked woman. "What was that?"

"You were judged on which power would suit you best and I decided that you were best suited to be given Geass. All as well, as I believe the Power of the Queen would be better suited for you." Shinryoku answered as she produced a mirror from her cloak and held it in front of Kallen.

She looked at her reflection and saw herself with her left eye glowing red with a bird like symbol around her pupil. "This is…Geass?"

"Yes." Shinryoku nodded. "It always starts in the left eye. Tell me, did you hear any words repeating themselves in your mind?"

"I heard…Absolute…Vision." Kallen slowly answered, remembering the words.

"Absolute Vision." Shinryoku repeated softly. "Well, I guess we'll need to test it. Look around tell me what you see."

Kallen slowly looked around, taking in the Campus from the roof of the clubhouse. Everything was different to her. She could see everyone down on the courtyard with perfect detail even if they were far away from the clubhouse. She could see everything perfectly, the trees and grass with little insects crawling through them, the courtyard with students walking back and forth, and she could even hear footsteps and conversation under her feet.

"I…I can see…I can see everyone moving in the courtyard. I see them perfectly and I can hear their footsteps and I can hear them talking." Kallen said as she instinctively deactivated her Geass.

"So in other words your Geass enhances your senses." Shinryoku mused. "I'm not surprised considering who you are."

"Is this the power of Geass?" Kallen asked, staring at the masked woman with a look of unease. "Why is mine different from Zero's?"

"Geass manifests in many forms based on the desires of the person who gains it. Zero's Geass is the Power of Absolute Obedience, meaning he can plant any command in the mind of any person he makes eye contact with and the person has no choice but to obey. Meaning if he told you to die you would kill yourself with a big smile on your face." Shinryoku answered. "Yours on the other hand appears to enhance your vision and possibly other senses to super-human levels. The Power of Absolute Vision."

"You mean you weren't kidding about this?" Kallen could not help but shudder.

With that kind of power Zero could conquer the entire country if he wanted to.

"Now you truly understand his power and why he wears a mask and why you were given visors. To prevent you from coming under the influence of his Geass." The masked woman said, making Kallen to make a note to always remember to wear her visors around Zero.

"And why do you need us? With that power at your control Britannia would fall easily to you." Kallen said, wondering why she and the others were invited to join Zero in his revolution.

"Because…power is useless if that's all we have."

Kallen spun around to see Seizan standing at the door that led up to the roof. "Seizan?"

"Power alone is not going to change the world for the better." Seizan stated. "There needs to be more than that. Zero is recognized for being a hero to the weak, not for his power, but for his stance against corruption."

"Zero's…here?" Kallen's eyes widened.

Did that mean Zero was a student who attended here?!

The door behind Seizan opened up. "Naruto, C.C., are you guys up here? I need you to-Kallen?"

"Uh…" Kallen could only stutter as Lelouch Lamperouge walked onto the roof and was now staring at her with shocked and confused eyes. "I can explain!"

"You're-" Lelouch suddenly froze, becoming completely still like a statue as red rings surrounded his eyes. "I…can't…move…"

"It seems your Geass does more than enhance your vision." Seizan remarked, his and C.C.'s Rinnegan easily seeing Kallen's Geass paralyzing Lelouch. "Kallen, you might want to shut off your Geass."

Kallen blinked and the Geass crest in her left eye vanished, allowing Lelouch to freely move as the red rings disappeared from his eyes.

"You're on time, Lelouch." Seizan stated with a chipper note in his voice as he reached up and pulled his hood down. "We just finished forming a contract with Kallen. And it seems her Geass is just as powerful as yours."

"You mean you…" Lelouch's eye twitched as Kallen gaped at seeing the familiar blond hair of the one person who could have that kind of hair style. "And you didn't tell me."

"We're telling you now." C.C. followed Naruto's actions as she pulled her hood down and both removed their masks.

"Naruto? Tsunade?" Kallen stared at the two in stunned silence, only able to mumble their names. "But…"

"You can't just go out and give someone Geass or the Rinnegan without me knowing." Lelouch protested.

"I disagree since we both know you'd never consider letting us do that if we talked to you about it. You know as well as we do we need all the help we can get." Naruto retorted.

"I am also under no obligation to ask permission about who I make a contract with." C.C. joined in scolding Lelouch who scowled in annoyance.

"What are you both talking about? How does Lelouch know about Geass?" Kallen spoke up, getting anxious for answers.

"Isn't it obvious?" C.C. asked with a small grin. "You might as well tell her, Lelouch."

"You two really like making me give away secrets don't you?" Lelouch sighed and gestured to the door. "Fine, but can we do it inside. Milly and the others are gone for now so we'll have time to talk."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what you know." Kallen reached for her knife.

"I happen to know a lot…"'Lelouch smirked as his left eye flared red with the symbol of Geass. "Q-1."

All three watched as Kallen was stunned and left stuttering. "Q-1? But that would mean…You can't be?"

'Naruto and C.C. went and gave Kallen Geass behind my back meaning I would have to tell her eventually or she would consider abandoning me or telling the others who I am if I tried to deny it.' Lelouch thought as he nodded. "You asked me what Lelouch Lamperouge wanted to do about Britannia wants to do and he told you nothing for there is nothing he could do…but Zero plans to change the world."

"Now will you come inside. There's a long story." Naruto gestured to the door.

Xxx

"So the container we stole was full of poison gas in Shinjuku but a copy of her," Kallen pointed at C.C. "That Naruto created when they escaped a Britannian research that summoned you two to Japan where C.C. gave Lelouch his Geass. And that's when you three teamed up."

"Yep." Naruto nodded with a smirk. "Three mild mannered teens with hidden super powers."

"If you can call pulling pranks on everyone, including me, mild mannered." Lelouch muttered in annoyance.

"Wait a minute. If you're Zero and you had your Geass that long then…" Kallen narrowed her eyes and grabbed Lelouch.

"Wha-" Lelouch gasped as he was slammed into the wall.

"Did you use your Geass on me?" Kallen asked darkly.

The feeling that she had experienced about the power Zero spoke of on the train came back in full force now that she knew the full story.

Lelouch paled but slowly nodded.

That was when Kallen became angry and scared as she started shaking Lelouch. "What did you make me do? WHAT DID YOU MAKE ME DO?!"

"I-Ow-I asked-Ow-if you were-the Glasgow pilot!" Lelouch cried out as Kallen slammed him into the wall repeatedly.

"That's…that's how you found about me and the others?" Kallen let go of Lelouch and stepped back.

"I knew about you since you came back to school. I recognized your voice and confirmed it later." Lelouch grunted as he stood up fully.

"And the bathroom…" Kallen trailed off as she blushed slightly, prompting C.C. to smirk.

"Yes, what about the bathroom?" The green haired girl slowly asked.

"Did you use one of those…clones to make me think Lelouch wasn't Zero?" Kallen shot a glare at C.C.

"Actually that was easy. Lelouch gave a recorder to C.C. who snuck off to make the call when she said she had to go to the infirmary." Naruto answered with a grin.

"Huh?" Kallen gaped at the three of them.

They managed to throw her suspicion off them by just using a simple recorder? Kallen mentally kicked herself in the head for falling for such a simple trick. She knew Lelouch and Zero's voices sounded similar but when she heard Zero's voice on the phone she and when she heard Lelouch never left the ball room with dozens of people watching him at the time she easily believed that it was all a coincidence.

"All right," Naruto stood between them before Kallen could ask anything else. "While I understand this is surprising, Kallen that's enough for today. We can talk again tomorrow when you've thought this over."

"But remember that even if you hate Zero or us for keeping this secret you should remember that you agreed to the contract between us. You cannot walk away now, not when you have the power that the Emperor himself seeks." C.C. walked up next to Naruto. "You promised to fulfill a wish in exchange for freeing Japan, remember that."

With that said Naruto and C.C. walked out of the room, leaving Lelouch and Kallen alone.

"While I have nothing left to say I won't force you to remain with us. My Geass only works on the same person once, making you immune now and forever. I don't know what C.C. plans for you to do but I should let you know that we are not the only ones with Geass and that some work for Britannia. We'll be forced to fight them as we wage war that will no doubt spread through the world. Even if Zero is not who you expected he still hopes to count on you." Lelouch said and followed his two partners out, leaving Kallen alone.

Xxx

"Did you really have to give her Geass? She's skilled enough without it." Lelouch caught up with Naruto and C.C. "You took a huge risk. What if she exposes us?"

"She won't." Naruto answered simply.

"And how do you know that?" Lelouch scowled at how calm they were. "She knows I'm not Japanese."

"She's not the type to go back on her word. She'll be grumpy about it but she'll settle down and become curious about us." Naruto answered.

"And then you tell her more about us?" Lelouch frowned. "Why the sudden interest in her?"

"You're Zero the Black King, we're your Knights, and if we're going to play chess analogies then Kallen is the Queen." C.C. replied.

"The Queen?" Lelouch stopped as Naruto and C.C. turned and looked at him. "You mean for her to become as important as Zero don't you?"

"You are a good tactician, Lelouch, but you don't have Kallen's skills with a Knightmare and if we're going to fight the Emperor we don't just need good pilots and soldiers we need people who can fight against his secret Geass Order. In fact with the right training if something were to happen to us Kallen could take over as head of the Black Knights." Naruto explained.

"And that's why you gave Kallen Geass?" Lelouch asked, not admitting that they had a point about dealing with the secret Geass Order. 'I know Kallen is skilled with a Knightmare but to be able to replace me if something were to happen to us? Could she be that skilled?'

"That and there is another reason but we've given you enough reasons. Now if you'll excuse us, Naruto owes me a massage for this and an hour of making out." C.C. dragged Naruto back into Lelouch's house.

Lelouch sighed. 'One of these days.'

Xxx

For the next few days Kallen avoided talking to Naruto, C.C., and Lelouch at school but she never revealed their identities to the other Black Knights during missions and acted completely professional with them while on the job. They chalked it up to her realizing that revealing their identities would cause dissention in the ranks if they found out Zero was a Britannian. But it didn't make Kallen feel any better, knowing the identity of the man behind the mask that had given her so much hope and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. Lelouch Lamperouge, the lazy genius who rarely smiled unless his sister was around along with Naruto Uzumaki, the blond student with a hilarious wit and a love for pranks and mischief as much as Milly and Tsunade Senju the girl who loved making people squirm with sarcasm and little rumors she liked to spread and making out with her boyfriend in front of everyone just to get a reaction out of them.

It was then she realized she needed to find out just who Zero and his knights-Lelouch and his two friends-really were.

So here she was, back in school wearing her uniform with her hair down in case anyone sees her late at night walking down the hall to where she heard the three were hanging out: at the pool.

Xxx

Lelouch sat on a bench near the swimming pool with his laptop on his lap, showing him potential recruits for the Black Knights. However to anyone else the screen would have showing nothing but information on Britannia's founding. The special glasses he wore filtered out the actual image of what he was reading.

In the meantime his two knights were busy with something else.

C.C. was garbed in a swimsuit as she stood on a diving board and looked up at the moon for a moment. Then she jumped off, performing a perfect dive into the pool.

"Nice one!" Naruto laughed as C.C. came up to the surface. "My turn."

Naruto climbed up to the diving board and jumped off it a second later. "Cannonball!"

He made a huge splash that covered C.C.'s head making her frown as Naruto's head popped out of the water.

"You just had to do that." C.C. shook her head, sending droplets of water flying.

"Aw relax. You're already wet so it's not a big deal." Naruto shrugged.

"Oh yeah…" C.C. smirked as she grabbed Naruto's head and pulled it underwater.

Naruto seemingly struggled for a moment before C.C. felt several hands pulling her down. "Uh, what the-"

She was suddenly pulled underwater and watched as several Narutos grinned at her. She frowned in annoyance at Naruto using Shadow Clones to help him out which Naruto knew as he dispelled the clones and pulled her in. His grin becoming mischievous for some odd reason and C.C. was caught off guard as his lips crashed into hers. C.C. was surprised but went along with it as they made out underwater; both determined to hold their breath longer than the other.

Lelouch looked up when he noticed both Naruto and C.C. had been underwater and grimaced when he realized what they were doing. "Do they have to do something like that everywhere?"

"Aw, let them have their fun."

Lelouch turned and saw C.C.'s 'mother', Mito Senju walking into the room with a grin. Naruto and C.C. broke apart and their heads popped up out of the water.

"Who won?" Mito asked amusedly.

"No one. We just sensed you coming in." Naruto said as he got out of the pool. "What's up?"

C.C. looked over at Lelouch. "I'm guessing from the look on your face that it's wonderful how the number of recruits keeps growing."

"And it was simpler than I ever expected. While I bitterly hate the Britannians I refuse to condone terrorism. That's the prevailing view of most Elevens." Lelouch grinned at the profiles, including one that had never committed any anti-Britannian activities.

"Basically Elevens support the Black Knights for the most part." C.C. lied back in the water, staring up at the moon.

"And let's not forget Kyoto sending you some Knightmares." Mito commented.

"And the number of informants has been increasing too." Naruto offered his own two cents. "We can turn them all into a proper spy network with the right training."

"Which in turn makes it easier for us to operate. They don't report our activities which is a huge help. The Japanese just needed a symbol, a good buzz word and off they go." Lelouch continued.

"Hence the Knights for Justice act." C.C. climbed out of the pool.

"Yeah, well everyone loves a hero." Lelouch replied. "And what better hero than a knight?"

C.C. chuckled. "I kind of doubt that's what a real knight for justice would say."

"You don't think so?" Lelouch rhetorically asked.

"Maybe not a knight but a shinobi uses deception as a weapon all the time." Naruto shrugged. "It's not like we have any other choice. Oh, and by the way, Lelouch, a special friend of mine has a few gifts as well."

"Hm?" Lelouch raised one eyebrow.

Xxx

Kallen opened the door to the pool and peered out to see if they were there.

"So you say this will get rid of that Knightmare's shields and overload it?" Lelouch's voice asked.

"It's a homemade chakra bomb that stores large amounts of chakra inside, modified to look like a chaos mine. It'll release a large pulse of chakra that will overload anything it comes into contact with, even the shields on that Knightmare."A woman's voice answered.

'That voice, that's Tsunade's mother!' Kallen's eyes widened.

"You've proven you and C.C. could handle that white Knightmare. What's the point of creating this?" Lelouch asked.

"It's called taking precautions, Lelouch. You should try it a few times." Naruto snorted.

Kallen heard Lelouch grunting. "Very well, it pays to have an insurance policy."

"Now that we have convinced you to take measures to protect yourself can we move on? Like the fact that a Britannian man is offering to join the Black Knights?" C.C.'s voice drawled.

'A Britannian helping Zero?' Kallen thought with slightly widened eyes, temporarily forgetting that Zero was also a Britannian.

"Looks too confident to be a spy. Could he be an extremist?" Lelouch asked.

"I've looked into this guy. His name is Diethard Reid and he's a reporter. Seems to me he's like any other reporter who's interested in getting a good story. He did the whole tear jerker on Clovis's death and Suzaku's trial along with handling TV news in Area Eleven." Naruto commented.

"Well, this could be useful. Still though, I'm not happy with how you keep on gathering information or go on some secret mission of stealing from nobles or military bases without telling me. You even went and offered Kallen Geass or the Rinnegan depending on her character. Can you two at least promise to tell me when you'll make these offers to anyone else in the future?" Lelouch asked.

"Perhaps but you'll need to realize that no matter how important you make yourself or Zero there is always a chance you might die and that someone else can rise up in your place." C.C. replied. "Besides, anyone who gains Geass or the Rinnegan is because I deemed them worthy, not you. Therefore your opinion does not count in this matter."

"But we will make sure that anyone else who gains either power is completely trustworthy." Naruto cut in, seemingly playing the role of peacekeeper. "Even if she asks why you're rebelling that doesn't mean you have to spill _all_ your guts to her."

"And what about you two?" Lelouch retorted.

"Let's ask her, shall we?"

Suddenly Kallen felt something pulling her forward and she let out a yelp as the door was pushed aside and she fell onto the floor of the roof.

"Kallen?" Lelouch jumped in surprise.

"Looking for something?" C.C. asked amusedly as the red hair girl frantically stood up.

"Kallen? When did you get here?" Lelouch asked, sounding very alarmed.

"Oh relax. It's not like we would be keeping this stuff a secret from her for long." Naruto said as he folded the laptop up. "So, come to ask us something?"

"Uh…" Kallen tried to speak but for some reason was unable to form words in her mouth.

"Seems she's a little shy. I thought that was just part of the act." C.C. remarked with her usual grin. "Perhaps if we invite her to tonight's meeting she'll be a little happier."

"My boss has worked to ensure that it's all perfect and thanks to you two she even added a few modifications." Mito added with a satisfied grin.

"You're in on this too?" Kallen looked at Tsunade's 'mother'.

"Of course. You think I'd let my children fight without me helping?" Mito questioned, enjoying the confusion on Kallen's face.

"…Who are you people?" Kallen finally asked, now wanting the answers she had been looking for. "Who the hell are all of you?"

"You know us already. Both the masks and the faces underneath." C.C. calmly answered.

"That's not an answer. I don't know anything about you or why I should trust you." Kallen glared at the green haired girl. "Why should I trust any of you?"

"Because we give you hope." Lelouch answered. "Because Zero is the one who can perform miracles and you want one miracle to happen."

"That and you entered in this through a contract which means even if we don't tell you everything you still find out a few important things, like the fact that Lelouch is the not only other person here to have a Geass and that Britannia has a few Geass users." Naruto answered calmly.

"Lelouch told me before. Who else has it?" Kallen asked immediately.

"You've already met one of them, at least not directly. The Emperor, Charles zi Britannia." Lelouch explained.

"He has Geass?!" Kallen stepped back, not sure how to handle the sudden revelation. "What…what can he do?"

"His Geass allows him to alter a person's memory at will." C.C. answered. "No Geass is the same as another. Another is the Knight of One, whose Geass allows him to see the trajectory of his opponent's attacks to better predict them."

"And let's not forget the other fifty in his secret order." Naruto commented.

"FIFTY?!" Kallen's voice kept getting louder.

"Don't worry; it's not as bad as it sounds. They're only kids with five or ten of them available for missions." C.C. interjected to calm the red haired girl down.

"How is that supposed to reassure me? You just told me that the Emperor has a secret order of people with scary powers!" Kallen exclaimed.

"Maybe but we got our own secret weapons." Naruto smirked. "Like Lelouch told you, C.C. and I are immune to the power of Geass. There is also the fact that they can't make a move right now because of the Black Knights and the military concentrating on the remaining pockets of resistance in Japan. They won't make a move unless they believe C.C. is here and even then they'd probably send a few scouts to confirm it first."

"So you don't have to worry about any Geass users showing up yet." C.C. mirrored Naruto's smirk. "Which gives us time."

"Time?" Kallen asked, now calming down.

"Time to properly organize a resistance force to take on Britannia, starting with the liberation of Japan." Naruto answered, watching as Kallen's breath almost completely blasted out of her.

"Liberation…of Japan?" Kallen slowly repeated.

"That is the whole point here, isn't it?" C.C. asked rhetorically.

"And why would you help us? Your stories, they are obviously cover stories and why would he," Kallen pointed at Lelouch. "Want to declare war on his own country?"

"A valid question. The answer is that I have no love for Britannia, I despise it probably more than you." Lelouch answered, shocking Kallen. "While I may not tell you everything I will tell that if you do help me I will see to it that Japan is free."

That said Lelouch walked towards the door and left the room, leaving Kallen with the others.

"He's so dramatic. Why is it that girls always fall for the mysterious bad boy act?" Naruto sighed. "Seriously, this is getting old."

"Oh stop being a baby. Now come on, we have a free day and I want to have some fun." C.C. grabbed Naruto's arm and started dragging him to the door. "Coming, Kallen?"

"Uh? Why?" Kallen asked.

"So I can steal your credit card and use it for getting pizza." C.C. answered as if she was discussing the weather. "And Naruto can give you a free massage."

"Uh…no thanks." Kallen weakly answered with a pink blush forming on her face. 'What kind of girl let's her boyfriend give massages to other girls?'

"Suit yourself." C.C. shrugged and dragged Naruto, who waved at Kallen, to the door and left Kallen alone with Mito. "Be sure to train with your Geass some more."

"Well what about-" When Kallen turned to speak to the woman she was gone. "Why do you people keep doing that?!"

Xxx

"Yes, I was demoted from my position in very much the same way you were." Diethard Ried turned his chair to face his visitors.

Jeremiah grunted and narrowed his eyes at the indirect insult fired at him but Villetta quickly spoke up. "We have no intention of letting the situation end this way. We have a sneaking suspicion that you don't either."

"Is that so? Well who can say?" Diethard asked, not at all bothered by his demotion.

All he was interested in was the story that Zero was making with his rebellion, so different from the usual rebel stories that all ended in Britannia victory, it was so…boring. Diethard became a reporter to make news, not fabricate it for the benefit of the wealthy and corrupt. He knew these two soldiers were fishing for information, most likely to clear their names in light of Zero's first miracle.

"We have a lead that might help us find, Zero." Jeremiah turned and faced Diethard who turned his gaze calmly at the officer.

"You're familiar with Ashford Private Academy?" Villetta asked. "I want to investigate a male student attending there. I think he may be working with Zero."

Diethard feigned disinterest but they knew he was typing Ashford's name into the search engine on his computer.

"Villetta and I are going to shipping out soon for military duty. And we'll be stationed in the Narita Mountains." Jeremiah continued.

"Narita?" That name made Diethard look up. "Isn't that where the Japanese Liberation Front's headquarters are rumored to be located at."

"You may be a bit too clever for your own good." Jeremiah said as he and Villetta glared at Diethard.

"You overestimate me." Diethard smirked calmly.

Well, so Cornelia was going to attack the JLF and wipe them from Area Eleven for good. He had already applied for recruitment of the Black Knights but he knew Zero would be hesitant to accept him as he was creating a rebellion against Britannia and the idea of a Britannian helping out would sound ludicrous. He didn't think much when these two jokers had come in to speak with him.

The man, Jeremiah Gottwald, was a dangerous man with an overwhelming desire to erase the shame of 'Orange' as well as take Zero down while the woman looked to be the type who would do anything to rise in the ranks. And both had just given him what he needed for what Zero would perhaps need to perform his next miracle.

Xxx

The Black Knights were all gathered in the abandoned weapon's factory that became their new headquarters as the lights came on. In front of them were rows of what appeared to be modified Glasgows along with newly black painted Oberon Frames to show their allegiance to the Black Knights. There were a total of ten of the new Glasgows in four rows along with four rows of ten Oberons.

"Wow, it's amazing! These are Glasgows aren't they?"

"Burais with Japanese modification."

"I've never seen these before."

"And not to mention these Oberons. They look tough."

"Now the Black Knights have some serious muscle."

"Wasn't easy to sign up with the BK."

"So that makes us special huh? We're elite!"

The new recruits for the Black Knights continued to marvel at the new Knightmares while the top members of the Black Knights stared in awe at the red Knightmare that had arrived, the Guren Mk-II.

"Those guys from Kyoto, they believe in us. They sent us this." Sugiyama whispered.

"A completely made Japanese Knightmare." Yoshida was just as quite as Sugiyama.

"The Guren Mk-II." Kallen whispered, almost unable to speak.

The Guren was colored red with an orange chest plate and an orange cockpit coming out of the back. However the most amazing feature was the silver claw and in the palm of its hand was the Radiant Wave Surger, a very powerful weapon. However what no one expected was the sword katana attached to the left hip which according to the manual was a weapon designed to emit five thousand volts of electricity through it and even more if the pilot wanted to increase the charge, making it a very deadly weapon.

What made the Black Knights most interested in it was the weapon's name: Raijin No Ken which literally meant Sword of the Thunder God.

Rakshata had gone to work on trying to create weapons that could utilize elemental forces like ninjutsu and came up with a way using experimental electromagnetic technology she developed by studying how lightning ninjutsu worked. By creating a miniature chakra generator inside the hilt of the blade it had a large energy reserve so it wouldn't run out and it didn't need to be connected to the Knightmare to be powered up. It functioned much like MVS swords but generate pure electricity that showed much greater potential than an MVS blade.

Rakshata proudly named this new type of weapon the Arc Blade.

"Did you check out the manual?" Minami asked.

Tamaki chuckled. "I'm really loving this."

"The big shots in Kyoto are recognizing us. We have their approval!" Sugiyama was almost beside himself with glee.

"Tamaki-san! Could you show me how to use this equipment here?" A female Black Knight called out.

"Oh, sure. Hang on, I'll be right there." Tamaki called back as walked over to help.

Kallen watched as they all walked to help and turned back to the Guren, spotting the three figures behind it.

"First Tamaki and now Inoue and the rest are treating this like a party." Lelo-Zero said as he stepped out of the shadows.

Kallen quickly schooled her features as the other two stepped out, saving her curiosity for later. She decided that telling the others who Zero and his knights were was a bad idea. But she still wanted to know what their stake in this was. "What do you mean?"

"Kyoto is supporting multiple resistance groups, correct?" Zero asked rhetorically.

"Yes, which means that we finally made it in." Kallen smiled as she turned around. "They know that we're worthy-"

"No, you're wrong there, Kallen." Zero cut her off. "This is merely a test they put to us."

"So what if it is?" Kallen asked, not understanding his meaning. "This is still incredible."

"Maybe but it also means that something else is going to happen. After all, until now they supported the JLF the most since it was the largest resistance group with the most military resources while we're still the new kids on the block." Naru-Seizan said as Zero tossed a key at Kallen who caught it.

"What's this?" Kallen looked down at the red key.

"The Guren Mk-II is yours now, Kallen." Zero answered.

"Huh? Why me? Why not use it yourself?" Kallen asked, unable to reason why Lelouch would give her the Guren.

Was it a bribe?

"You're a top notch pilot and Zero is a commander. He can handle a Burai but his piloting skills…leave much to be desired." C.C. or Shinryoku said and everyone knew she was smiling under her mask.

"And now the Black Knights have three aces." Seizan commented.

"And the final reason, you have a reason to fight." Zero finished.

Kallen thought of her mother as she looked down at the key. "Right."

She didn't think she knew exactly why Lelouch was giving her the Guren but she decided not to question him in front of the others.

"Zero, you got a second?" Ohgi called out, directing everyone's attention to him as he walked out and handed Zero a letter. "We got some weird Intel from a Britannian who wants to join up with the Black Knights."

Lelouch blinked under his mask as Ohgi handed him the folder.

"This may be a trap to draw us out." Ohgi skeptically remarked. "Even if we try to confirm this information it'd be too risky to contact him directly, but news like this isn't something we can just ignore. What should we do?"

"This weekend, we're going hiking." Zero closed the folder.

"What?" Ohgi asked.

"To the Narita Mountains." Zero continued.

"You plan to pass Kyoto's little test, don't you?" Shinryoku asked, knowing the answer.

"Obviously they want to test us in battle against Cornelia and her forces and what better way to prove ourselves then saving the largest group they have been backing up to now?" Zero rhetorically asked.

"Very well then." Ohgi could only guess Zero had a plan.

Xxx

"What are you up to?"

Kallen had followed them out of the warehouse when it was time for them to leave, all four of them having school in the morning and to prepare for their next mission. She spotted them moving into the van that was their mobile headquarters to change and slipped in as the door closed.

"Do we always have to up to something?" Naruto slipped his mask off his face. "C.C. gave you Geass, Lelouch gave you the Guren, is this because I haven't given you a nice gift yet?"

"Zero is the most important of the Black Knights. If something happens to him our cause will be dead." Kallen said, getting straight to the point.

"You know as well we do that you are a far better pilot than Lelouch. That's why you get the Guren." C.C. stated as she took her mask off.

"I meant what I said, Kallen." Lelouch said as he took off his mask and cape. "I'm better off as a commander instead of a fighter. You, Naruto, and C.C. are more than capable of handling that role.'

"That's just a fancy way of saying he sucks." Naruto whispered out loud causing C.C. to chuckle while Lelouch threw a glare at the blond. "It's true and you know it. Anyways if I what saw in that report is true we'll be going there…" Naruto threw a look back at Lelouch. "To save the JLF."

"Yes, to save them." Lelouch nodded. "And to capture Cornelia."

"Capture Cornelia? Are you sure you can do that?" Kallen asked skeptically.

"She'll be too preoccupied with destroying the JLF to wonder if the Black Knights will appear, especially since Zero denounced them as terrorists because of Kusakabe." C.C. explained. "We also are prepared for that white Knightmare that will likely show up. It appeared at Shinjuku and at Lake Kawaguchi so there is a chance it will show up at Narita."

"You two defeated it though." Kallen pointed out.

"Yes but you know as well as we do that are always unexpected variables when it comes to planning a battle." Naruto pointed out. "You have to plan out almost every known scenario down to the last detail as well as come with back up plans for the unknown. And speaking of unknowns how's your Geass working?"

"Oh, uh…" Kallen instantly remembered her Geass.

"You haven't been training with it have you?" C.C. smirked.

"We've all been very busy plus I haven't had the chance to test it out in a fight." Kallen hastily explained as a small blush formed on her face.

"Well no time like the present." Naruto stepped forward. "Going into battle with an untested power like yours is dangerous, especially if you activate it by mistake. We'll give you a hand in training how to use it but until you've gotten a good handle of how to use it you will not use it in battle unless…your life or the lives of any of your comrades are in danger."

Kallen was silent as she thought it over for a moment and nodded. "All right."

It turned out that the training consisted of spars with Naruto and C.C. who told her not to use weapons but they used their swords and kunai on her, which resulted in her shouting how unfair it was but they told her to suck it up and kept on attacking. As Kallen used her Geass she saw their images slowing down for some reason, making it easier for her to dodge and try to counterattack. Unfortunately she found out that Geass didn't work on the two because both carried the power of the Code that granted Geass that had fused with Naruto's power making them both immune to Geass.

Lelouch had told her that he had used his Geass on them and found out his didn't work on them either.

She discovered her Geass not only enhanced her eyesight but it also enhanced her other senses to super human levels and mental functions. She couldn't hear Naruto or C.C.'s or paralyze them because they were immune but she could hear Lelouch's heartbeat, hear the sound of rat's scurrying outside the giant van, she could see everything more clearly, her blows seemed stronger when she made a few hits and she didn't feel anything when she felt any blows hitting her and she immediately sensed when she was in danger even if she could not see it. C.C. surmised that her Geass was a sensory enhancement and it was also hard to maintain as Kallen felt like she had run a marathon around the Tokyo settlement but her ability to paralyze anyone she makes eye contact suggested that it enhanced Kallen's senses while freezing the movement of anyone she made eye contact with, even working on someone that she already used it on as Lelouch unfortunately found out when Naruto suggested Kallen test it on him again. The effects of her Geass enhancing her physical and mental functions and paralyzing any target pushed her body past its limits so she could only use it for a short time.

Naruto also took the time to warn her that every Geass develops with use until it reaches its perfect form, meaning she and Lelouch could use their Geass with both eyes. That would make it easier to use and possibly more powerful but harder to control and eventually the Geass in their left eyes would activate permanently and could not be controlled. Kallen was naturally surprised and worried about what would happen when her Geass would evolve but Naruto already assured her that they could take steps to stop anything bad from happening. It depended on her will power to not succumb to 'runaway Geass' and have a mental breakdown.

"A breakdown?" Kallen asked during their break, sitting at the table with food in front of them. "You mean me and Lelouch could have a mental breakdown?"

"Relax. I wouldn't have let C.C. grant you Geass if I wasn't looking for ways to counter it. As far as I can tell, the Rinnegan me and C.C. have can cancel or alter the affects of any Geass and we already tried to a few tricks with Lelouch." Naruto smirked at the scowl on Lelouch's face. "Like the one where we can temporarily seal a Geass by eye contact. Compared to our eyes yours and Lelouch's Geass are small water droplets compared to a lake, or even an ocean."

"How strong are those eyes of yours?" Kallen said, remembering those ringed eyes Naruto and C.C. had.

"I'm not entirely sure. We've been training for months and we still have scratched the surface yet. The legends surrounding these eyes state that anyone who has them can bring a great change to the world as a Creator…or a Destroyer." Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

"We have discovered that we were unable to deactivate our Rinnegan months ago but we can keep them hidden thanks to a mere illusion but the odd thing is that the Geass that merged with these eyes is active in both of ours and yet we cannot deactivate them." C.C. brought a pizza out of the microwave. "Not that it matters as it only saps a little of our strength."

"So, your eyes are much stronger than Geass." Lelouch surmised. "Will this have the same affect on anyone you grant them to?"

"Not from what we saw of Sayoko, she can activate or deactivate her Rinnegan at will and it's active in both eyes unlike Geass." Naruto shook his head. "She's been training for several weeks now and her Rinnegan was used much more than you used your Geass. If something like a 'runaway Rinnegan' was supposed to happen it hasn't yet."

"At the very most Sayoko wouldn't be able to deactivate her Rinnegan and she has enough chakra reserves that it won't drain her." C.C. said as she gobbled down her pizza. "And don't forget I gave someone else the Rinnegan before Sayoko."

"Who?" Kallen asked.

"Sorry, that's classified. I gave you and Lelouch Geass and you already know that I can only grant six people the Rinnegan but I am under no obligation to tell you who I make as my paths or who else I grant Geass." C.C. smirked, which annoyed both Geass users. "I can tell you that she's an ally and you'll meet her in the future."

"So in other words you'll just go in and grant these powers to whomever you want?" Kallen asked sourly.

"Anyone I find worthy, like you two." C.C. answered calmly.

Lelouch knew how Kallen had felt as Naruto and C.C. had told him the exact same thing. It seemed that they included Kallen in this because she's just as worthy as Lelouch is and someone who could lead the Black Knights. Lelouch did admit that Kallen's intellect was above average and from what he saw her fighting abilities were already formidable without her Geass. From what he saw she would make an excellent ace, something that Lelouch himself was not.

Lelouch considered himself, Naruto, and C.C. irreplaceable and it seemed his two knights wanted to make Kallen as important as them for some reason. Perhaps it was because of her skills that they were doing this as even Lelouch recognized her skills.

'We'll see how skilled she truly is this weekend.' Lelouch thought as they continued their small dinner and conversation.

In the meantime Kallen wondered what she had gotten herself into by agreeing to the contract C.C. offered her and wondered what her Geass would allow her to do in the future. She was still full of questions but she was somewhat satisfied as she got to know C.C. and Naruto better while Lelouch continued to remain a mystery. She now understood that C.C. had given her Geass without Lelouch knowing and even though they acted as Zero's Knights in reality they were his equals. Lelouch tried to throw her suspicion off him by provoking her with what he said in the mall district but after what happened to her mother his Knights decided that she could as important as Zero was.

'They let me in because the Emperor has an entire cult of Geass users and because they think I can be as important as Zero but why? Am I really that good?' Kallen wondered.

"All right, let's go over the plan for Narita."

Xxx

"Yep, all simulations show that all enemy forces on that side of the mountain will be wiped out. Just as the boss predicted." Mito said as the laptop showed the simulation for Lelouch's plan.

Rakshata's face appeared on the screen with a smirk. "_Naturally_. _An impressive plan that kid's thought up. Cornelia will be crippled and left wide open._"

"And luckily I convinced Lelouch that destroying a city would tarnish the reputation of the Black Knights and Zero. Took me almost an hour to make him see reason." Naruto grumbled.

"It was only fifteen minutes." C.C. pointed out with a smirk. "And then you threatened that you would make him act and dress act like Zero on campus."

"Well someone had to set him straight. There is a difference between mass man slaughter and unavoidable casualties." Naruto retorted.

"Of course, Naruto, of course." C.C. nodded, patting Naruto on the head, earning a pout. "However it'll take more than an anonymous call."

"Not if we we're calling the right person." Naruto retorted with a smirk.

Xxx

Princess Euphemia li Britannia sighed as she stepped out of shower and slipped a robe on as she finished drying herself off. It had been a very long day and she just wanted to rest since there was going to be a big military operation this weekend. Her sister had wanted her to stay but Euphemia had no intention of waiting here for her sister to come back. She didn't come here to simply sit on a throne and watch everyone do all the hard work.

'Why must my sister act like she's my mother?' Euphemia thought as she stepped out of her bathroom and shivered when she felt a cold breeze. 'It's cold. Why is-huh?'

The glass door to the balcony was left open for some reason. She didn't open it, it must have pushed open by the wind. She walked over and closed the door, shivering again for some reason.

"Good afternoon, Princess Euphemia."

Euphemia gasped as she spun around and pressed back to the glass door. Standing in the middle of the room was the same cloaked man that had been with Zero at the Kawaguchi, the one wearing the white and red fox mask.

"Is this a bad time?" The masked man asked jokingly.

"How did you get in here?" Euphie asked, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"The door." The man answered, possibly joking. "I was hoping to catch you before you went to bed."

"Are you here to capture or kill me? You won't be able to escape as the palace's security makes it impossible to escape." Euphemia stood up straight, hoping to show she was not afraid.

"If we wanted to capture or kill you we would have done so at Lake Kawaguchi. Before we continue allow me to introduce myself. I am Seizan." The man bowed his head. "And I have information you will want to here."

"Why should I listen?" Euphie frowned. "Why should I trust anything you say?"

"Even if it saves innocent lives, a lot of civilians that will be caught up in something that they have done nothing to deserve? A chance to save them in the battle that's coming?" Seizan asked, seeing the Princess falter in surprise. "Yes, we know of operation happening this weekend and we know that your sister will be leading the attack."

"You-you will be there? You're going attack my sister?" Euphie asked, shaking a little.

"We don't target civilian lives but when your sister enters the battlefield she becomes a _military_ target, as will you if you decide to go. However, unlike your sister you are the only one who can prevent civilian casualties."

"Me?" Euphie asked. "But why-"

"You heard what Zero said. We denounced the JLF for what they did at Kawaguchi and we will not endanger innocents in this battle. Cornelia is a soldier but she will not evacuate all the cities near Narita for fear of alerting the JLF to her upcoming assault. She will endanger them just so she can have the element of surprise." Seizan explained. "If you care about those people you will do everything you can to ensure they survive."

Euphemia could only stare in shock at what the masked man had said, while gripping the fabric of her robe tightly.

"What do I have to do?" She finally whispered.

Seizan explained his plan to her and warned her not to tell Cornelia or she would halt any chance to evacuating the civilians, believing it was a trick by Zero.

"Who are you?" Euphie asked when Seizan was done. "Why help if your goal is to destroy the Empire?"

"Why risk your life for commoners when you would have been killed when you revealed yourself to those JLF terrorists?" Seizan calmly asked. "It's a pretty simple answer when you think about it."

Before Euphie could ask again the door her balcony open suddenly, releasing another gust of wind into the room that made Euphie closed her eyes in surprise as she shivered. When she opened her eyes, the masked man known as Seizan was gone. Euphie could only stare in surprise at where the man had been before she closed the door a second time.

'Seizan, Zero, what are you trying to accomplish?' Euphie thought as she lied down on her bed. 'And what is it about Zero that seems so…familiar?'

Xxx

Nunnally yawned as she sat up on her bed and looked up with a smile as Sayoko walked in, carrying her clothes. "Sayoko, we won't need any breakfast for my brother this morning."

"He's going out?" Sayoko asked, stopping at the foot of Nunnally's bed.

"He'll be leaving on a three day trip starting today." Nunnally answered.

"Oh I see." Sayoko smiled as she put the clothes on Nunnally's bed in front of her. "Oh I see. He's been going quite a bit recently. Think it's a girlfriend?"

Nunnally gasped silently as she thought it over. "Maybe it is."

The idea of her brother getting a girlfriend was surprising to the little girl but she did know her brother was the school heartthrob.

'I wonder if I'll get to meet her.'

"Let us hurry and get you dressed, Lady Nunnally." Sayoko walked back. "Tsunade's mother, Mito Senju wished to see you today."

"Okay." Nunnally nodded with a smile.

Xxx

The weekend came pretty quickly and almost everyone was on edge. Zero had given the Black Knights the coordinates of where to meet while he and his two knights would meet them later. Kallen could only wonder what the three of them were up to this time.

Xxx

"Sector Five, nothing to report. Right, the next scheduled report will be in the next two hours." The JLF officer said before hanging up.

He and his partner were staying in a shack, acting as lookouts in case the JLF headquarters was attacked.

"Of course there's nothing to report." His partner said as he sat down and continued their game. "This area's controlled by the Japan Liberation Front. No one can just stroll in."

The sound of a door opening made them look up and when they saw who it was they both jumped to their feet with their guns in their hands.

"Zero!"

"Relax. I only came here to talk." Zero said as he took his mask, revealing his hair and eyes with one of the eyes flashing red with the Geass crest. "I want you to ignore any unusual activity during your watch."

The effect was instant on both officers. "Sure, no problem."

"Come on, it's your turn."

"What's the rush?"

"We're just on regular duty you know?"

They picked up their chairs and sat back down to play their game. Lelouch nodded in satisfaction at his work and moved back the Burai he had brought with him while bringing out a small mirror.

Xxx

A flash of light from the mountain was spotted by factsphere of a Burai. "_I've confirmed the signal from Zero. We're now moving to waypoint two._"

The two Burais were dragging a large wooden cart filled with large metal cylinders up the mountain.

"_Hey why doesn't Zero just use the radio in his Burai?_" Tamaki asked.

"_What do you suppose he meant when he said hiking?_" Inoue sarcastically asked.

"_Uh, military training right?_" Kenta guessed.

"_Only with Zero in another location?_" Even Tamaki thought that sounded stupid.

"_Maybe we'll dig a hot spring._" Yoshida offered.

_"Is that why we brought those excavators? Then hell, I'm all for it._" Kenta chuckled.

Kallen tuned out the conversation in favor of reading the Guren's manual, trying to make sure she memorized everything she needed to know.

"_Hey Kallen, you hear anything about this?_"

"Hm? I haven't." Kallen answered solemnly but remembered the conversation last night.

Xxx

_Kallen was getting ready for bed, tossing away her school uniform without planning to slip into any night clothes._

_"You might want to think about that before you take off the shirt."_

_"GAH!" Kallen spun around as she began unbuttoning the top of her shirt. "Nar-Seizan!?"_

_Naruto was at the window in his Seizan outfit but the mask and hood were off, showing his face. "Sorry to barge in but there is something I think I need to talk to you about. It's about the trip to the Narita Mountains and Lelouch's plan."_

_"Uh?" Kallen stared in confusion._

_Xxx_

"_And you Ohgi?_"

"Nope, not a word." Ohgi answered simply.

He wasn't sure what Zero was planning but he was trusted the masked leader of the Black Knights and could only hope it wouldn't backfire on them.

'Zero isn't using the radio to avoid being traced. Is he serious about this?' Ohgi thought.

Xxx

"The day I've waited for has finally come, Cornelia." Lelouch muttered, reading the book he had found as the two officers kept on playing their game.

Lelouch spotted something outside through the window and saw C.C. and Naruto looking over the cliff. "Huh?"

Xxx

"We're certain the Japan Liberation Front's headquarters are in this area. We've already split four battalions into seven units and hidden them in the vicinity." Darlton reported as the G1 slowly moved to the base of the mountain. "We've only to wait for the Viceroy's signal and then we'll surround them in one fell swoop and wipe them out."

"And you're confident that the enemy won't show up outside the encirclement in mind?" This question came from none other than Princess Euphemia herself, remaining skeptical of this plan.

As the officers turned to face her Euphemia's sister only smirked. "You mean Zero?"

"Have no fear of that. As the operation begins we'll be blocking off the surrounding highways and mountain roads also." Darlton answered.

"Plus we have reserve units and if Zero's stupid enough show up it'll be the end of him." Cornelia said confidently.

For some reason though Euphemia didn't share her sister's confidence.

Xxx

"C.C., Naruto, what are you doing here? I thought you were with the others." Lelouch said as he walked out of the cabin.

"We said we'd work with you, didn't we? That also includes protecting you." C.C. looked over her shoulder.

"Aren't you overdoing it?" Lelouch asked.

"Clearly not." Naruto muttered as he looked down that mountain. "Cornelia's not evacuating any of the villages near the mountain. What kind of military leader goes into battle without first making sure to avoid civilian casualties?"

"That's the price of war, Naruto." Lelouch calmly said as he stopped behind them.

"I'm wondering something, Lelouch. Why are you Lelouch?" C.C. turned away.

"I don't have time to discuss philosophy with you." Lelouch said annoyingly.

"You changed your family name to Lamperouge but you kept the name Lelouch that was given to you at birth." C.C. continued. "How sentimental. You really can't let go of the past."

"Well C.C. swings to other extreme doesn't it? It's not a human name. I wonder sometimes if you've even told Naruto your real name." Lelouch retorted.

C.C. turned her head sharply to Lelouch making him jump back but she only smirked as the wind blew snow. "Lelouch, do you know why snow is white?"

Lelouch only frowned at her.

"Snow is white is because it's forgotten what color it's supposed to be." C.C. answered, never losing her smirk.

"Of course, it's also white because snow never loses its purity. It remains beautiful to the end, no matter what anyone says about it." Naruto threw in his own philosophy.

Lelouch and C.C. looked at Naruto, not expecting him to say anything.

Xxx

"_All units are in position._"

"Understood, Euphemia will provide logistical support from G1 as planned. Have her command the medical group." Cornelia said, wanting to make sure her sister was as far from the battle as possible.

"_Yes your highness._"

A beeping sound caught Cornelia's attention as someone else radioed into to speak with her. "_Princess Cornelia._"

"Guilford, let me guess. This is about Euphy isn't it?" Cornelia said knowingly.

"_Yes. She really should be in a government agency but-_"

Cornelia smiled as she closed her eyes. "Yes but she's being unusually stubborn about this. She told me she wanted to see action in combat herself."

Xxx

"What's that unit there? Holding to the rear?" Euphemia asked, looking at the digital map.

"Our reserve force with the Eleven pilot."

"What?" Euphemia looked at the officer. "You mean that's the Lancelot?"

"As a rule Number aren't allowed to operate Knightmares. That particular unit is an exception. The Second Prince is the patron of that unit; we have no say over their personnel selection. But he said he wants them to have as many chances at combat as possible."

Euphemia could only frown at Suzaku being forced to stay at the rear simply because he was an Eleven.

Xxx

"Are you sure about this?" Ohgi asked Zero as they watched the excavators dig into the mountain to place the seismic charged they had brought.

They were all spread out as possible as per Zero's orders with one at the top of the peak while the others placed further down the mountain.

"Our opponent is Cornelia whose forces are among the best Britannia has to offer. With these we can even the playing field." Zero answered.

"Then why don't cooperate with the Japanese Liberation Front?" Ohgi asked.

"We are in a way." Both men turned and saw Seizan coming out of his blue Knightmare. "If we take out Cornelia as she attacks we'll be saving the lives of a great many Japanese soldiers."

"Besides, don't you believe in me anymore, Ohgi?" Zero asked.

"What do you mean? I was the one who asked you to be our leader!" Ohgi said defensively. "Don't you remember?"

"Even though Zero confessed his Geass?" Seizan asked.

"Yeah…Honestly even though I've seen Zero use that Geass thing it still freaks me out." Ohgi answered quietly. "I sometimes can't help but wonder if you ever take that mask off without fear of controlling someone accidently."

"And I sincerely hope that you never stop being afraid. As for your original question, there is only one answer to give." Zero replied, answering the original question.

"Right." Ohgi reluctantly nodded.

Xxx

"Right, commence the operation!" Cornelia shouted as her Gloucester was launched out of the G1.

Behind her all of her subordinates launched and followed her up the mountain.

"You, the Japan Liberation Front, you who time has left behind, you who have forgotten basic human decency, you and your dream of a bygone age shall and rot to nothingness." Cornelia whispered in disgust at the JLF and their cowardly tactics.

Xxx

"We're under enemy attack?!" General Katase cried out as he stepped into the war room.

"Yes sir, the Britannian forces have completely encircled the Narita mountains. We counted over a hundred units."

Xxx

"It's begun." Zero announced as everyone could see the Britannian units approaching.

"Huh? What the hell? You have got to be kidding, Zero! Those troops coming in have this whole area totally surrounded! There is no way out!" Tamaki yelled.

"We've already been cut off. Our only chance of surviving now is to fight." Zero replied calmly.

"Of course we don't have to fight." Seizan stood next to Zero. "Not when we have something else to that for us."

"Huh?" All the Black Knights now looked confused.

"Tell me, Ohgi-san," Shinryoku said as stood the edge and looked down the mountain. "What is the most common cause of death in the mountains?"

"Uh…landslides I think. But what does that have to do with…" Ohgi trailed as he suddenly realized what Zero had been planning.

He was not the only one as the rest of the Black Knights were now staring at the three masked individuals in shock.

"You planned all this…" Tamaki slowly asked.

"Even Messiahs need to perform miracles if they are to be acknowledged. Therefore we have to produce our own miracle don't we?" Zero asked rhetorically.

"These drills are digging into the deposits of groundwater in the mountain. The radiation from the Guren will cause it to boil and create an artificial avalanche that will literally bury Cornelia's forces." Seizan lectured. "Why fight them head on when we can use the land itself to defeat them?"

"This is the path you have chosen when you joined the Black Knights. You can either fight with us or perish with us." Zero stated. "If you wish to quit you are free to do so but stay and we shall stand over Britannia as their Royal Guard is buried under the land they have tried to oppress. Kallen, it's time."

"Uh, right!" Kallen answered quickly, still surprised by the genius of Lelouch's plan but shook it aside as she hopped into the Guren.

"Everyone, prepare to move out! Let us show Cornelia that this land and its people's pride have not yet been broken!" Seizan shouted.

"YOU HEARD HIM! LET'S GET TO WORK!" Tamaki shouted, now understanding and eager to take down Cornelia.

Xxx

"We're completely surrounded and all our underground reserve forces were all captured."

"General Katase, we've received a message from Cornelia's forces demanding our surrender."

"Imbecile! If we lose then the whole resistance force is lost with us."

"But General, do we engage the enemy in battle?"

"What about Todoh? Where is he?" Katase asked.

"He's gone to Kyoto to get the custom Burais. The Four Holy Swords are traveling with him too."

"Then we're on schedule. He should be returning soon." Katase said with a small bit of relief. "Todoh will make it in time. Prepare to bring out the Burais. We'll break out of the circle on one side and evacuate. We'll show them the Japanese spirit and pride. This is our moment of truth!"

"Sir, we getting another call."

"Another demand for surrender?" Katase growled.

"No. They claim to be one of Zero's knights. They are asking us if we want to live."

"Zero?" Katase's eyes widened.

Xxx

As the G1 backed away from the mountain Euphemia looked down at the map of the mountain.

"We believe the enemy's main base is here but we haven't pinpointed it yet. However until we obtain a list of their collaborators we can't burn down everything with our aerial bombing."

"The enemy is engaging our encirclement and will try to break through. From there we will be able to ascertain where their base is."

"Our forces are divided into three fronts: the units led by General Darlton here," The man pointed at the east side of the mountain. "General Alex here." He pointed to the middle. "And Viceroy Cornelia here." He pointed to the west. "As for our flanking forces…"

The generals and Euphemia were greeted with the shock the map's image suddenly becoming garbled.

"It's enemy ECM."

Xxx

"The main enemy force should be coming out anytime now. We're switching to ECCN mode on channel Alpha four." Darlton smirked. "The enemy, what are we calling them again?"

"_Burais_ _sir_."

"Right, they're rather like pseudo Glasgows so watch out for them."

"_Yes my Lord._"

Xxx

"How clever, they turned this mountain into a fortress." Cornelia commented sarcastically as Burais emerged from a hidden elevator covered by trees.

"_Your Highness, please fall back._"

"Guilford, please don't treat me as I'm another one of your woman." Cornela then shot forward in her Glasgow.

"_It's…Cornelia!_" A JLF soldier shouted.

"_Don't panic! Take out the leader!_" The three aimed their rifles and shot at Cornelia recklessly.

"Insolent worms!" Cornelia shouted as she evaded the bullets and swung her lance, knocking all three of them down.

She then plunged her lance into the nearest Burai, lifting it above her head and watched as it exploded. Cornelia snorted in disgust at how pathetic the pilots were performing.

Guilford fired a slash harken at a nearby turret. "_Right, well then I'll cover you from the rear._"

Cornelia smirked as she glanced back at her knight before looking up at the mountain. "Well, Cornelia is here! Is there no one who challenge me?"

Xxx

"The enemy seems to be concentrated over her. This may be the target. Split up now!" Darlton commanded.

It was easy however to take out the enemy Burais as they didn't even get a decent shot as Darlton's forces easily destroyed them.

Xxx

"Our second attack wave had no effect."

"Their sheer dominance is insurmountable." Katase whispered.

Xxx

"_General Darlton, based on the analyses of the enemy's movements I've determined that the entrance to JLF main base is located is that lodge located up on the main mountain_."

"I believe the proper term for this is bingo." Darlton said jokingly.

"_Well to be more precise sir-_"

"Just call it in already Mr. Literal." Darlton grumbled.

Xxx

A flash of light shot up above the forest and exploded, sending out a booming sound and a bright flash that could be seen from the other side of the mountain.

"Is that-" Cornelia spotted the flash. "Darlton?"

"So that's where the main enemy base is located?" Guilford asked.

"Right. We'll be securing our position here." Cornelia said.

"Are you sure about this?" Guilford asked, even though he smiled.

"I don't need to steal achievements from my subordinates. Send the reserve force to back up Darlton. Looks like he'll be getting another medal." Cornelia remarked, satisfied with the work of her men.

Xxx

'Impressive as always, Cornelia.' Lelouch took off his mask when he was in the cockpit of his Burai. 'A very logical deployment. However excellent though it is, it's also easy to read as is your location.'

Xxx

"Sir, we're getting another message from Zero's knight, Seizan. He's asking us to pull our forces back as Zero launches his attack."

"Very well." Katase reluctantly obeyed. "Tell our forces to pull back up the mountain."

He was risking a lot trusting Zero even though he handed Kusakabe over to the Britannians to be interrogated and then executed but at the moment he had no choice.

'Where are you, Todoh?'

Xxx

Darlton watched as the Britannian army climbed to the top of the peak with no resistance forces stopping them. "Now any resistance remaining in Area 11-"

Xxx

"Will soon be finished." Cornelia finished with a grin, feeling victory was close.

Xxx

"Right, all preparations have now been completed!" Lelouch announced from the Burai he was in. "Black Knights, prepare to move out!"

"Damn it, we have no choice!"

"I don't want to die! We'll make a miracle happen!"

Burais stood up as their pilots activated them while the infantry loaded their weapons.

"We the Black Knights, are going to launch a surprise attack on the Britannians from the summit of the mountain. Per my instructions you will charge on masse down towards point three and the intent of this operation is to capture Cornelia, Second Princess of Britannia. Our breakthrough route will be opened by the Guren Mk-II."

Kallen hopped into the cockpit of the Guren.

"Kallen, use penetrating electrode number three. Settle things with one blow." Lelouch commanded.

"Got it." Kallen said as she placed the Guren's claw on the seismic charge labelled three. "Outpit confirmed. Wave Surger levels ready and holding."

Kallen then remembered what Naruto had said.

Xxx

"_Lelouch wants to go for full blast but if that happens and the city below has not been evacuated in time then there will be massacre. That's why when you activate the Surger you should only use a quarter of its power if you truly care about avoiding civilian casualties._" _Naruto explained._

_"Why not just ask Lelouch to change the plan?" Kallen asked._

_"Lelouch is genuine in his wish to destroy Britannia even if he doesn't condone civilian massacres his eagerness to rush and defeat the enemy causes him to make mistakes no matter how smart he is. I'm telling you this because even if Zero leads the Black Knights you are now equal to him. It is your choice to follow orders even if they lead to the liberation of Japan, no matter how much blood is shed but it is also your choice of whose blood will be spilt." Naruto said before vanishing in a puff of smoke. "Think carefully of how far you must go, Kallen."_

Xxx

Kallen took a deep breath. "Activating Gauntlet now!"

The claw released a blast of red electricity that traveled through the seismic charge and into the mountain where the groundwater was located. Kallen sighed as the Guren's arm powered down. Everyone waited in silence…

And a second later was when the mountain started shaking.

"It worked!" Kallen said, a rush of relief coursing through her.

It indeed did as a mudslide was now traveling down the mountain at full speed. C.C. watched from her point as the mud and boulders spilled down the mountain side.

Xxx

"What's happening?" Euphemia put her hands on the map as she watched Darlton's units vanishing in horror.

"Impossible." The general next to her whispered. "How could a landslide come out of nowhere?"

"Alex and Darlton's units are getting wiped out!"

'This is…this is what he said!' Euphie remembered back to her conversation with the masked man, Seizan. 'If I hadn't given the evacuation order the city would have been wiped out!'

Xxx

"Climb! Get to higher ground!" Darlton shouted to his surviving men as he struggled to climb up the cable of his slash harken that was barely keeping him alive.

Xxx

The headquarters of the JLF shook dangerously as landslide was literally shaking it to pieces.

"Will this base hold together?" Katase wondered as he and his men gripped the table with all their might.

"The Central Area should make it though sir! Let's hope the tunnel systems hold up!"

'This is why Zero's Knight, Seizan told our forces to pull back and retreat up to east.'

Xxx

"Status report!" Cornelia shouted, watching as the landslide continued down the mountain that barely missed her and her group.

Luckily she and her group had managed to avoid getting caught but she knew that not all of men could say the same. She had been stunned for a moment before she tried to take control of the situation.

"_We're still trying to confirm_!"

"_Your Highness, pull back you're in danger here._"

"I don't care! Forget about me! Find out about Darlton! And where's Alex?!" Cornelia shouted.

Xxx

"Oh my, at this rate they will be swept all the way to the bottom." Lloyd remarked with an interested look as he watched the landslide from his computer.

"These heat readings are abnormal. Do you believe a volcanic artificial eruption was induced?" Cecile asked.

"Impossible unless someone has used Rakshata's Radiant Wave Surger." Lloyd answered.

"Did something happen?" Suzaku called from the Lancelot's cockpit.

"Ah." Lloyd looked up at Suzaku. "But it has nothing to do with us so just relax and continue waiting."

"Huh?" Suzaku wondered what was going on.

Xxx

The avalanche continued down the mountain, dragging earth, rocks, and trees that buried any Knightmare that was not fast enough to get out of the way. It fell all the way down to the mountain, stopping on the outskirts of the city that would have been buried alive. However even if the city had been buried there was no one in the city.

Xxx

'It's even more destructive than I anticipated. We did succeed in isolating Cornelia's unit but we could have been a bit more accurate.' Lelouch thought with a grin. 'Perhaps I should have consulted a physics teacher or ask Nina to tutor me in probability. Ah well, the good news is that the city was empty just in case because of whatever Naruto did.'

The landslide had served its purpose. The Britannian army had suffered massive causalities, creating chaos and disorientation and Cornelia was now isolated from the rest of her forces thus leaving her wide open. Last time he had come close when Naruto and C.C. had managed to corner Cornelia when she had been wide open and if not for the surprise entrance of the Pure Bloods they would have captured her. This time Cornelia was out on the battlefield, cut off from reinforcements, and he had greater numbers that were actually skilled and capable of coordinating their efforts.

Xxx

'Euphemia really did do it.' Naruto smiled. 'The instant she heard innocent lives she jumped for the chance to help, even if the information was from a so called terrorist. An anonymous call alone would not have been enough but the instant Euphemia makes as a call to warn them they clear out before the battle begins. And Kallen even held back on using full blast so even if the city hadn't been evacuated the casualties would have kept at a minimal number.'

Now that the city had been evacuated he and C.C. were free to fight to the best of their abilities.

Xxx

"_New enemy forces confirmed moving in from the summit. Carius unit is moving to engage them._"

"Hoping to take advantage of all the confusion are they?" Cornelia whispered.

"_Emergency unit from Carius unit._"

"What's wrong?" Cornelia asked.

"_It's not the Japan Liberation Front. They think it's…the Black Knights!_"

"What?!" Cornelia's eyes widened. "Then it's…"

Xxx

"Zero?!" Jeremiah's eyes widened as he listened to the radio channel.

He and the rest of the Pure Bloods had been held back since they were still disgraced and Jeremiah had to keep his mission secret. Though the Pure Bloods managed to gain some credibility back the fact that Zero had utterly destroyed their reputation had not been forgotten and the anger towards the masked vigilante remained strong, especially in their leader who knew better than anyone why he would be here.

"How dare he show up here?" Jeremiah hit the full throttle on his Sutherland's spinners and moved up the mountain. "ZERO!"

"Lord Jeremiah, you can just abandon your post!" Villetta shouted.

"This requires drastic measures! If you want glory in life than follow me!" Jeremiah replied, encouraging his men to follow.

He couldn't allow another member of royalty to die, not on his watch.

Xxx

"Cornelia has only limited reinforcements heading her way! Smash right through them!" Lelouch ordered which was met with cheers.

"_Yeah we can do this now_!"

The two Burais escorting him aimed and fired, taking out the surviving Gloucesters in their way.

Xxx

"All right everyone, you know the game plan. Our job is to watch their backs. Get ready…" Inoue spotted the enemy tank. "Fire!"

The two soldiers holding the bazookas fired and hit the tank, knocking it over and destroying it.

Xxx

'Let's see how this works.' Kallen thought as she activated the Raijen Sword.

The sword blazed to life as red electricity traveled up the blade and it glowed bright red.

"Raijin Sword, long range mode activated." Kallen muttered as she held up the crimson blade.

Following the instructions she targeted the VTOL Gunships hovering above her and swung her sword at them. To her shock and awe the sword released a red beam slash that sliced the gunships with ease.

"By Kami…" Kallen whispered as she stared at the sword in her Knightmare's left hand. 'This is amazing.'

Xxx

"IT WORKS! IT WORKS! IT WORKS! IT WORKS!" Rakshata hopped up and down while everyone in the room stared at her, never before seeing her so happy.

She had read up on the Second Hokage's sword, wondering how he created a weapon of pure lightning and talked over about it with Naruto who wondered if it was possible to create a larger version of the sword for Knightmares, asking for all the details he remembered about the sword. She enlisted the help of several scientists over the Internet and what they knew of laser and beam technology and incorporated it into the sword, thus creating a sword that was not only able to generate pure electricity but able to be used for long range attacks. She was now seeing it in action through the shared vision with Naruto and C.C. and she was waiting impatiently for the sword's real test.

"Come on, Earl of Pudding. Send your Knightmare out so it can be the proper test subject for my child's new toy!" Rakshata gripped her laptop. "HURRY UP! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! LET ME SEE MY CHILD ROAST YOURS ALIVE!"

Everyone in the room wisely backed away from Rakshata as she banged her table in frustration and impatience.

Xxx

"The enemy's taken out Carius's unit?" Jeremiah's eyes widened when all signals from Carius's unit was lost. "Then if I take out Zero before he reaches out Cornelia I'll be golden."

"_Lord Jeremiah?_" A familiar voice came through the radio.

"Villetta, you came?" Jeremiah asked then smiled. "I knew that you would."

With him and Villetta leading their troops Zero wouldn't stand a chance.

Xxx

'Burn the bridges behind you and keep your back to the wall. Classical strategies remain effective ones don't they?' Lelouch thought as he moved through the forest.

Even if he wasn't the first to reach Cornelia Naruto and C.C. were already planning their own routes while Kallen remained with him from behind.

"Zero!"

A Sutherland wheeled out of the woods and fired, firing on the two Burais flanking Lelouch but luckily they were carrying the shields that were developed for the Oberons and they easily blocked the incoming projectile fire.

"Is Zero here? If he is then face me! Come forward and fight Jeremiah Gottwald!" Jeremiah shouted through the speakers.

"Well, well, it's been a while Jeremiah." Lelouch remarked with a smirk even though he was outnumbered.

He shouldn't be surprised as it was because of Jeremiah that the plan to capture Cornelia in Saitama failed but this time Lelouch won't let him get in the way.

"I see you managed to stay in the army but I guessed that when you managed to save Cornelia last time we met she might grateful enough to throw you a bone. I'd love to stay and catch up but I'm afraid I don't have time right this minute, Orange boy."

Lelouch expected Jeremiah to become angry but to his surprise Jeremiah didn't fall for it. "You cannot provoke me, Zero. You are after Princess Cornelia, aren't you?"

Lelouch chuckled. "Well, it seems I underestimated you, Jeremiah. I thought leaving you humiliated like I did would cause you to become reckless but it seems I was wrong. The answer to your question is yes, I am here to personally capture Princess Cornelia."

"Then I will not let you pass!" Jeremiah activated his Stun-Tonfa. "I refuse to let another member of royalty die on my watch!"

He wheeled forward but before he could attack the Guren landed in between them and knocked Jeremiah's rifle out of his hand. Jeremiah grunted but quickly activated his arm blades.

"Lord Jeremiah!" Villetta shouted in concern.

"Stay out of this! This is my duel!" Jeremiah shouted, not wanting anyone to intervene.

"But look at it! I've never seen a Knightmare like that before. Is it possible that the Elevens have-" Villetta pointed out.

"You think Elevens are capable of such technology?" Jeremiah refused to hear it as he charged forward.

He slashed at the Guren but it blocked with its claw. Jeremiah slid back and tried again but the Guren moved out of the way. Jeremiah spun to attack from behind but the Guren leapt up, avoiding the slash.

"It's fast!" Jeremiah looked up and watched as the Guren somersaulted down with its foot aimed at him.

Jeremiah grunted as he wheeled back. The Guren wheeled after him, pulling out the Raijin and activated it, showing the Britannians the red glowing sword that sparked with red electricity.

"What is that-" Jeremiah quickly raised his arm blades to defend himself.

Kallen shouted as she slashed at her opponent with the Raijen and succeeded in slashing Jeremiah's right arm off. Electricity sparked down the destroyed arm as the sword had easily burned through the metal and had released volts of electricity through the frame that was causing a lot of trouble for Jeremiah.

"This thing…Is this what destroyed Carius's unit?" Jeremiah struggled get out of range as his console beeped red from the damage.

"Yeah, that's right Britannia!" Kallen answered with a look of determination and confidence on her face. "We can finally go up against you on equal footing head on! And our counterattack begins with this baby the Guren Mk-II!"

She thrust her claw forward to grab the head of Jeremiah's Sutherland.

"Oh hell! There's something on its right hand!" Jeremiah's eyes widened as his Sutherland backpedaled. "I keep my distance-" However the Guren's clawed arm extended forward and grabbed him by the head. "What's this?!"

"Sorry." Kallen said as she activated the Wave Surger.

Jeremiah gasped as his Sutherland was filled with red radiation causing the frame to bulge at an alarmingly fast rate. "What the hell's happening?!"

"Lord Jeremiah, eject!" Villetta shouted, her imaged becoming blurry on the red screen.

"I can't run now! Zero's right in front of me!" Jeremiah shouted, staring at Zero's Burai."He's standing right here! I won't let him take the princess!"

Jeremiah's Sutherland was beginning to break apart from the inside, causing the ejection system to activate.

"Damn it! The auto eject! Don't you dare activate!" Jeremiah was now babbling from being cooked alive as the system beeped. "I know I can get him!"

The radiation knocked him out as his cockpit shot out of his Sutherland just seconds before it exploded. The Guren retracted its clawed hand as its image was engulfed by the flames of the destroyed Sutherland, painting it in the image of victorious warrior.

"I won't lose." Kallen smiled. "Not with this. Guren Mk-II"

"She defeated Lord Jeremiah." Villetta whispered, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. "Who are the Black Knights? Who are they, these warriors?"

"All our tasks at hand have been cleared. The pieces are in position; the only thing left to do is check my opponent's stronghold." Lelouch grinned as he opened the private channel. "Seizan, Shinryoku, begin your assault."

"_Roger._"

"_Understood._"

Xxx

Cornelia gritted her teeth in frustration. Things had started so well, easily eliminating the rip-off Glasgows the JLF sent after her with little effort and then suddenly it all goes to hell when a landslide suddenly wipes out a dozen of her forces.

'Zero.' Cornelia snarled in her head. 'This is his doing. He somehow caused this landslide. Does this mean he's working with the Japan Liberation Front now? He denounced them for what happened at Kawaguchi so why save them?'


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

"What are our losses?" Darlton asked when he finally managed to climb out of the mud slide along with a few of his men.

"_I'm reading twenty percent of our forces._"

"Twenty percent?!" Darlton shouted in shock. "Our command structure can't sustain this!"

Xxx

"Lloyd, what's going on?" Suzaku said, hearing a lot of chatter on the radio.

"It's very unnatural." Lloyd hummed in thought.

"Unnatural?" Suzaku questioned.

"There seems to be an unconfirmed report that the Black Knights have appeared."

Suzaku's eyes widened. "Zero."

As he whispered the masked vigilante's name the two advanced Knightmares surfaced in Suzaku's mind, knowing they would be there with him.

"Congratulations." Lloyd remarked with a giggle as he looked up at Suzaku with an eager look. "This is our chance."

"Lloyd!" Suzaku shouted.

"You're so rash!" Cecile scolded.

"Uh?" Lloyd looked over at Cecile. "Why is that?"

"Would you like a detailed explanation?" Cecile smiled sweetly.

"Uh…No, I'll pass." Lloyd actually frowned, knowing what happen if he said the wrong word. "Anyway, while the High Command is still gathering data all we can do is play by ear, right?"

Xxx

"Is the Viceroy safe?"

"Yes, she was outside the mud flow but the units guarding her flank were lost."

"That means she's totally isolated."

"What the hell are those Pure Bloods doing?!"

Euphemia could only look on in concern as she listened to the reports and prayed for the safety of her sister.

Xxx

"I can't lose to an Eleven! I am a Britannian!"

Kallen responded by lashing out and grabbed Lord Kewell's Sutherland, activating her Surger and a second later the Sutherland Frame exploded.

"Lord Kewell!" Villetta shouted in horror.

"I'm not done yet!" Kallen shouted as she took out her Raijin sword and activated it. "Long range mode activated!"

"Fight to the death!" Villetta shouted, her and the remaining Pure Bloods aiming and firing.

Kallen swung her sword and released an arc of red lightning that burned through trees as it sailed through the air towards the enemy frames.

Villetta gasped in shock as she witnessed the wave of red death approaching her. "Everyone move!"

She quickly spun out of the way red lightning collided with it and the other Sutherlands. The rest of her group was not so lucky and were engulfed in flames as their Frames exploded.

"This is impossible." Villetta whispered as the Guren turned and looked at her, the flames surrounding it making it look like a demon from Hell.

"One more." Kallen whispered and hit the full throttle on her Landspinners.

Villetta's eyes widened as the Guren charged towards her and she quickly turned around and took off at full speed. She looked down at the radar in front of her and eyes widened when she saw the Guren chasing her and it was catching up.

"Get away from me!" Villetta shouted as she turned around and shot at the red monster.

However the Kallen raised the Raijin Sword and activated it, watching as it blocked and incinerated the bullets on contact with the electric blade. Villetta grunted as she pulled out a Chaos Mine and threw it at the Guren and watched as it fell back from the barrage that kicked up a lot of dust and riddled trees with numerous holes.

"Looks like I lost it." Villetta sighed in relief. "Now to get back to command-"

Villetta was cut off in mid-sentence as a red glowing blade pierced her Sutherland's arm, cutting it off and sending electricity through the Frame that caused the controls in the cockpit to short circuit.

"Miss me?" Kallen asked darkly through the speakers.

Villetta cried out as she tried to pull back but Kallen reached and grabbed the head of the Sutherland with her claw.

"No! I don't want to die!" Villetta cried, realizing what had happened to Lord Jeremiah and Lord Kewell was about to happen to her.

She hit the ejector switch and was ejected out of her frame in time as Kallen activated the Wave Surger and caused the Sutherland to explode.

"Hmph! Coward." Kallen watched as the cockpit flew away with a dark glare. "Not so superior now, are we?"

"All right, Guren Mk-II, move to plan point. Move right through the rest of their line and take Cornelia!" Lelouch ordered as he moved forward in his Buria.

"Right!" Kallen responded as she moved through the forest.

"Got it! Let's pull this off!"

"Seizan and Shinryoku, lead our groups down the mountain and provide cover." Lelouch continued.

"_Right/Got it._"

Naruto and C.C. led their own groups through the forest, taking out disorientated Britannian forces as they moved. The Burai and Oberon Frames were all armed with shields on their left arms while their right arms had their assault rifles that kept them moderately protected from enemy fire.

Xxx

C.C. was leading her group down the east side of the mountain with Burais and Oberons behind her attacking the enemy while she covered for them.

"Wind Style…" C.C. raised her Harken Fans as three VTOL ships tried to attack her. "**Wind Scythe Jutsu!**"

She jumped into the air and swung her arms out, releasing blades made of air that collided with the gunships and sliced through them.

"Continue moving everyone. I will lead and cover you but you must move swiftly or you'll die."

"_Hai, Shinryoku-san!_"

Xxx

In the meantime Naruto was not idle as he spotted a group of Sutherlands heading towards his group and held out his hands. "Let's test this."

Missiles sprouted from Seizan's arms, created by the power of the Asura Path and shot at the enemy group as they raised their assault rifles. The enemy was instantly blown apart before they could even blink.

"With us the chances of causalities are cut down but we have to keep moving before they can regroup." Naruto said through the radio. "Don't stop, not even to catch your breath."

"_Understood, Seizan!_"

Xxx

"The Pure Bloods were wiped out?!"

"_Yes sir. Lady Villetta was forced to eject because of a new weapon the enemy deployed._"

"We must buy time for the Viceroy to retreat. Send air cover."

Euphemia then noticed something on the map. "No wait! Something's approaching the Viceroy from behind!"

Xxx

"All units, are you ready?"

"Yes sir!"

"All right. Deploy the Custom Burais!"

"Deploying!"

The top of the trucks opened up and five Knightmare Frames, resembling Burais rose up.

"Listen carefully, if this landfill was man made it should allow us to hit Cornelia from behind. Capture Cornelia now, take revenge for what happened seven years ago!" The leader, Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh Kyoshirou, also known as Kiseki no Tohdoh spoke.

"YES SIR! BY THE HONOR OF THE FOUR HOLY SWORDS!" The other four soldiers shouted as they charged up the mountain.

Xxx

"Hm?" Naruto noticed something through the eyes of Seizan. "Zero, there's an unknown group approaching Cornelia!"

"_What_?" Lelouch asked through the radio. "_Not one of ours_?"

"_I see them too._" Kallen responded. "_They're moving fast and their taking out anyone in their way._"

"_Looks like someone is taking advantage of your plan._" C.C. commented.

"Oh yeah." Naruto smirked. "And I got an idea of who it is."

Xxx

"What?!" Cornelia spun around just as a Burai leapt out with a sword modified with a chain-saw in it that instantly cut through a Gloucester and instantly attacked another one as the first Gloucester exploded.

"Surround them!" Todoh ordered.

"The Japan Liberation Front?!" Cornelia whispered in shock as Guilford moved in front of her.

"Slash and encircle!" Todoh commanded which the other four responded. "Right!"

He slashed through one Sutherland frame, shooting past it like a blur and not looking back as it split in two.

"These are not just any Burais." Todoh said.

"This reminds me of seven years ago." Shogo Asashina mused.

"But it's different now." Nagisha Chiba smiled. "This time we have Knightmares as well."

"Your Highness, please leave them to us. Please you have to withdraw for now!" Guilford pleaded as he intercepted Todoh's Burai and clashed with his chain sword.

"Very well." Cornelia reluctantly conceded. "I know a way to turn this around. Guilford, after driving them back meet me a point nine."

"Nine?" Guilford questioned but obeyed. "I understand."

"Cornelia!"

Two Burais launched their Slash Harkens but Cornelia batted them away and broke through them. "You weaklings!"

She took off at full speed after she defeated them, leaving her knight to deal with JLF forces behind her.

'I guess there is some life left in these Elevens but they might not be the most pressing matter at the moment.' Cornelia thought. 'After all, if Zero is behind the land fill then he's already ready for me. But this time I won't let up him get the drop on me.'

This would not end like Saitama.

Xxx

"_Cornelia's retreating and the Royal Guard have engaged the JLF._"

'Excellent. They'll hold them off so we can swoop in trap Cornelia.' Lelouch thought. "Seizan, Shinryoku, meet up with Kallen and converge on Cornelia."

"_Right/Understood._"

Xxx

Todoh quickly contacted the JLF headquarters. "_I'm sorry for the late arrival General._"

"Todoh." Katase smiled in relief. "We've been waiting."

"_General, please send all remaining units to join me here._"

"Can you beat them?" Katase asked what everyone was wondering.

"_Yes, but only if we can hold off their main force._"

Xxx

"We have a chance now to turn the entire war around!" Todoh and Guilford grappled their weapons for a moment before Todoh pulled back.

Guilford frowned as a drop of sweat travelled down his face. 'I've heard Area Eleven has a formidable commander, their shining knight. Is this him, Todoh?'

"Fine!" Guilford charged forward. "Let him try me!"

Xxx

"Telling the JLF to fall back when Cornelia began her attack was actually a good idea, Naruto. Now they can all regroup with Todoh and push forward." C.C. remarked with an impressed smile.

"Actually, I was only looking to make sure they were not caught in the landslide." Naruto admitted with a sheepish smile. "Guess it paid off."

"Of course." C.C. closed her eyes. "You seem to be extremely lucky; even if you don't strategize everything like Lelouch it still manages to work out."

"Luckily, I don't hear Lelouch complaining about it."

Xxx

"Sub-Viceroy Euphemia you must act now to prevent a disaster. Send in the G-1."

"No." Euphie answered, looking down on the map with both hands pressed against it.

"But Guilford is completely pinned down! He can't get to Cornelia, her life is at stake here!"

"We can't, the field hospital is here and civilians. They've been evacuated from all over the area and brought to this point. Besides the G-1 is our command center, the Viceroy ordered not move it, no matter what. That's why…I just can't!" Euphemia exclaimed in near panic as their forces were systematically torn down by the enemy.

The landslide had thinned their forces down by at least sixty percent.

"Do we have any more reserves?"

One of the officials shook his head to a negative. "All of our reserves were destroyed in the land slide or already deployed."

Suddenly, the three members of the Camelot Project appeared on the screen.

"_Well hello there, the ASEEC crew reporting for duty_!" Lloyd greeted with a sly grin.

"Insolence!" One of the generals shouted in annoyance.

"You're just irregulars. Your orders are to keep silent and observe." Another voiced out his disgust.

"_Yes sir, normally we would but_…" Cecile started to say before she was interrupted.

"_But all this waiting around is extremely boring_." Lloyd said flippantly. "_Besides, you saw what that red Knightmare is doing to Cornelia's Gloucesters and no doubt the two advanced Knightmares that are already with the Black Knights are here as well. I think that is enough reason to deploy my Lancelot_."

"What are you saying, you fool?" One of the officials sneered in irritation. "You think one unit alone can turn the tide of the entire battle. I believe you thought the same thing the last time you deployed that Knightmare."

"_As a matter of fact, yes. You people did see what that landslide did to our forces. I can guarantee you that was caused by a single weapon. Combined with the three Knightmares that are destroying those Gloucesters and you can see the damage a single unit can do_." Lloyd exclaimed, now looking annoyed. "_I assure you that even with the two Knightmares that fought the Lancelot there before they won't be able do defeat it again._"

"_Sub-Viceroy Euphemia_," Suzaku called out, finally speaking. "_I beg of you! Give us the order to deploy_!"

"Suzaku," Euphemia whispered as a smile made its ways to her face. "I understand and I trust you, you have my permission."

Lloyd let out a loud cheer as Suzaku smile at the princess.

"_I won't fail you_." Suzaku swore with a determine voice.

"I know you won't." Euphemia replied as the communication link was turn off.

Xxx

Naruto had finished off another group of Sutherlands when the vision of a familiar Knightmare appeared in his mind, having been spotted the Shadow Clones he left at the bottom of the mountain to stop the landslide. They moved to the hospital the Britannians set up behind their mobile headquarters and spotted the white Knightmare being launched.

"Zero, we have a new target moving up the mountain. It's the white Knightmare from Shinjuku." Naruto said through the private channel.

"_What?_" Lelouch questioned over the radio. "_Are you sure?_"

"Yep. It's the same one." Naruto nodded. "It's trying to meet up with Cornelia."

"_Stop it, Seizan! It must not interfere!_" Lelouch ordered, not wanting the white Knightmare to get in the way.

"Roger." Naruto smirked. "And C.C., I need you to do something."

"_Hm? What is that?_"

"We need to scare the Britannians and give Lelouch proof of who the pilot is. And the only way to do that is find an important target." Naruto explained.

"_I see. And with the JLF distracting the rest of Cornelia's forces there is only one other target just as important as Cornelia herself._"

"Think you can handle it?"

"_Who do you think you're talking to?_"

Xxx

Todoh pulled back from another grappling round with Guilford. "Damn it, he's fierce."

Guilford tossed out a chaos mine that opened up and released an endless barrage down on Todoh and his group.

"Scatter!" Todoh shouted as he moved out of the way.

All Burais managed to dodge just in time but the battle was not going as planned. Cornelia had escaped and they were at a standstill with her knights.

"_Colonel, what about Cornelia?_"

"If Zero is the man I think he is he's moving into position right now. We've got to trust him." Todoh answered.

"What?! Zero is on the move!?" Guilford shouted, having heard Villetta from her down cockpit.

"_Right. Our team was wiped out by a new red Knightmare, most likely a new ace. There's no one else to come and back you up._" Villetta answered.

"Never mind that now. Just track Zero." Guilford replied as he blocked another strike from Todoh.

"_Yes sir._" Villetta brought up a digital map. "_This is his projected course._"

Guilford's eyes widened when he saw where Zero was heading. "The Princess was trying to trap Todoh, now there's a Knightmare waiting for her!"

Xxx

"_PRINCESS CORNELIA!_"

"I got the message, Guilford." Cornelia said as she stared down her new opponent.

It wasn't one of the two advanced Knightmares that were Zero's aces but a new red one with a silver claw for a right hand and in the other hand was a sword. She had come here to plot a way to stop the Black Knights but it seemed her move had been anticipated and they sent someone after her. But it didn't matter as she would defeat this red Knightmare and finish off Zero once and for all.

Xxx

Suzaku inserted the key in and listened to humming sound of the Lancelot activating.

"Advanced weapon system Z-01 Lancelot, utilize sand panels to climb liquefied slope at full combat speed and rescue the Viceroy." Cecile instructed.

"Yes, My Lord." Suzaku answered.

"Suzaku…" Lloyd drawled, watching on the screen as the Warrant Officer moved the Lancelot Frame into launch position "There's one thing I want to ask you…More than anything, you hate when people die." He raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Yet you're in the military, why is that?"

"I'm in the military to stop people from dying." Suzaku replied, his features disciplined as he prepared to engage the enemy, and perhaps capture Zero.

The vigilante had to be brought to justice before his actions grew too far out of control.

"That self-contradiction will get you killed someday…"Lloyd pointed out with a bemused smile, only to yelp as Cecile grabbed him by the collar, dragging the man off-screen as the Sakuradite powered up, Lloyd's pleas for mercy falling on deaf ears.

"Lancelot…now launching." Suzaku declared, the white Knightmare tearing off the launch pad and making its way towards Cornelia's last reported location.

Xxx

"CORNELIA!" Kallen shouted, charging forward.

"Low-born scum!" Cornelia retaliated, thrusting her lance forward as she accelerated forward as well but was caught off guard as the Guren leapt out of the way, landing behind her.

Cornelia quickly launched her slash harkens into the wall of the cliff and pulled herself up as Kallen tried to grab her with the Guren's claw.

"What's this? That's not just a customized unit." Cornelia realized as the speed and agility of that red frame surpassing her Gloucester's.

It was only through her experience that she was able to dodge. Her computer beeped and she quickly disengaged her Slash Harkens as gunfire shot at her from behind.

"Can you hear me, Cornelia?" A familiar voice asked through the radio.

Cornelia looked up and saw black Knightmare frames standing above her with one having a golden helmet that resembled a samurai helmet.

"This is checkmate."

"Zero." Cornelia stated angrily, realizing that she was surrounded.

"Yes. Shall we celebrate our reunion?" Lelouch asked jokingly. "Of course you'll have to surrender to us first and after that there are a few questions I want to ask you."

Cornelia narrowed her eyes and bit her lip in frustration.

"And in case you haven't noticed your reinforcements won't get here in time. I win Cornelia." Lelouch continued.

Cornelia banged the end of her spear in the ground. "You're a fool, Zero." She turned her head to the Guren. "This one! If I take this one out I'm free and clear!"

She pulled out her assault rifle and pulled the trigger once she aimed at the red Knightmare but the Guren dodged all bullets easily by performing aerobatic stunts as it got in close. Cornelia fired a Slash Harken but the Guren caught it with its sword.

"You've got some moves!" Cornelia thrust her spear forward.

However the Guren caught the spear with its clawed hand and Kallen activated the Wave Surger, causing the spear to bulge. Cornelia's eyes widened as the red radiation traveled down her spear and into her arm. She quickly detached the arm before it took the rest of her Gloucester with it and exploded. Cornelia grunted as her remaining arm was littered with bullets, causing her to drop her assault rifle which exploded.

"Coward!" Cornelia shouted when she saw the gun in the hand of Zero's frame smoking. "Attacking from behind?!"

"Really? And your own attack methods don't show acts of cowardice?" Lelouch rhetorically asked. "Tell me, Q1, what do you think of Princess Cornelia?"

"Not very impressive." Kallen said thoughtfully. "Even Gottwald put up a better fight."

"You-you killed Gottwald?" Cornelia asked, struggling not to sound surprised.

"And his little friends too."

Cornelia grunted but took a deep breath. "Guilford. Guilford, my Knight, you and Darlton protect Euphie."

"_Your Highness!_"

"I won't surrender. As an Imperial Princess I'll fight to the last!" Cornelia declared.

"_PRINCESS CORNELIA!_" Guilford shouted.

However before Cornelia could charged forward a pair of hands grabbed her feet and pulled her down, leaving her Gloucester buried with only its head sticking out of the ground.

"WHAT?!" Cornelia shouted as Seizan rose up from the ground.

"You guys got stop falling for this old trick." Naruto chuckled. "No fight to the finish for you today, Princess."

"You…" Cornelia growled.

Once again she was helpless before this blue Knightmare that had appeared to suddenly, standing over her victoriously. The way it looked down at her, seeing her as defenseless prey made her boil with fury on the inside as she was literally reliving what happened at Saitama.

"So predictable." Lelouch scoffed.

Just as he was about to give the order to capture Cornelia something blasted through the mountain side, kicking up dust everywhere.

"Huh?!" Lelouch's eyes widened.

Kallen instinctively covered the Guren's face while Naruto simply stood and waited. Out of the dust came the Lancelot with the VARIS unit pointed straight ahead.

Xxx

"Oh my!" Cecile gasped, watching from the Camelot unit's base.

"As reckless as ever, hey?" Lloyd commented with an excited look. "He used the VARIS to clear the obstacles in his path. Now let's see Rakshata's toy handle it now!"

Xxx

"IT'S HERE!" Rakshata grinned, just as excited as Lloyd as she saw the Lancelot through Seizan's eyes. "Okay, Seizan, Guren, take that toy out and show that Earl of Pudding who's the mother of all Knightmares!"

Xxx

Suzaku landed next to Cornelia, seeing her Gloucester buried up to its head like the Lancelot had been in Shinjuku. He needed to get them away from her and call for help before the Princess suffocated when her Gloucester ran out of oxygen but that would take a half hour.

"Viceroy, are you all right? I came to help your highness."

"Special Corps, who authorized you?" Cornelia asked bewildered.

"Hey, isn't that-" Tamaki started.

"Yeah, the Knightmare from Shinjuku and Lake Kawaguchi." Ohgi nodded grimly.

"Well, well, well." Naruto spoke, catching the attention of Suzaku and Cornelia. "I see you managed to dig up that little toy of yours and you added a big ass rifle to it. You wouldn't be trying to compensate for that humiliating defeat I gave you last time would you?"

"Attention, Black Knights!" Suzaku pointed the VARIS at Seizan. "You are under arrest for terrorism and murder."

"That's a funny thing for you of all people to say, considering the state you guys are in. You sure you can fight me and protect Cornelia at the same time?" Naruto rhetorically asked as he pulled out his twin kodachi. "Q1, Zero, I will deal with this guy myself."

"Understood. Guren Mk-II, pull back and wait for the opening to take Cornelia." Lelouch ordered.

"Right." Kallen reluctantly complied as she pulled back.

Suzaku grunted as he pointed the VARIS at Seizan and started firing, not wishing to give it a chance to fight. However Naruto easily dodged the blasts and smirked as the Lancelot launched its foot at him.

"This is how you kick!" Naruto shouted as he leapt over the Lancelot's foot. "LEAF HURRICANE!"

He spun through the air and delivered a kick to the Lancelot's head that Suzaku tried to block with one arm but sheer force of the kick sent the Lancelot spiraling into the wall. Suzaku cried out as the Lancelot collided with the wall, leaving large cracks forming but it was otherwise fine.

'It's not only fast but strong.' Suzaku grunted. 'I can't let it get in close!'

Suzaku spun around and fired the VARIS again while pulling out a MVS sword, struggling to hit Seizan but the black and blue frame kept on dodging and making it look so easy. Thinking quickly he kicked out his other foot, sending the other Landspinner flying through the air towards Seizan. However Naruto easily sliced through the spinner and continued charging forward.

"Not good enough!" Naruto shouted.

Suzaku grunted as he pulled back, avoiding the kodachi that almost sliced the Lancelot's head off and leapt back through the air to gain some distance.

"Why do you keep on jumping back? Are you afraid of letting even a small part of me out of your sight?" Naruto rhetorically asked as Suzaku fired his shoulder Slash Harkens at him but Naruto activated his Wave Surgers and channeled the radiation and chakra through his swords, cutting the Harkens and reducing them to nothing. "That's stupid!"

Suzaku gritted his teeth as he spun out of the way and slashed at Naruto's back. Naruto raised his swords over Seizan's head and caught the sword easily.

"If you're so afraid of losing sight of me then you should get in close and take me out!" Naruto spun and pushed the sword away. "The only time distance has any meaning is in a battle between equals!"

He spun Seizan to face the Lancelot and slashed at its chest. Suzaku activated the Blaze Luminous in both arms to block the swords and they succeeded but Naruto started channelling chakra into the blades and the Lancelot's Blaze Luminous began absorbing the energy.

"Damn it!" Suzaku swore as his console flashed red. "He's overloading the Blaze Luminous again!"

Suzaku jumped back, leaping into the air and aiming the VARIS down on Seizan and fired. Naruto raised both swords and channelled his chakra into the blades as he swung and slashed through the VARIS's shell, cutting it in half and its pieces flew past Seizan as it wheeled past the shells. The shells exploded, highlighting Seizan's form and its ringed eyes seemed to glow from its shadowed form.

"It can cut through the VARIS?!" Suzaku whispered in awe and shock.

Naruto took advantage of the surprised Suzaku as he landed and slashed at its chest but Suzaku managed to pull back before the kodachi cut through the cockpit. However Suzaku didn't move out of the way completely and a large scratch was now present on the Lancelot's chest.

"As you can see, there is no distance between us at all. If I really want to, I could simply reach out and touch your heart." Naruto stated with a cold look as his Rinnegan replaced his blue eyes.

Suzaku could only pant as sweat poured down his head and he quickly pulled out the other MVS sword. 'I can't let him get past me. If I lose the Black Knights will take Cornelia!'

The tear at the chest had torn the armor covering the cockpit and it fell out, revealing the pilot to all who were watching.

"Hey is that-" Ohgi started with widened eyes.

"It's that Honorary Britannian that Zero rescued! He's piloting that Knightmare?!" Tamaki shouted in complete shock.

Lelouch and Kallen were silent in shock upon seeing the Lancelot's pilot, their fellow student at Ashford Academy, Suzaku Kururugi. Kallen was surprised that a nice guy like Suzaku, even though he was an Honorary Britannian was the pilot of the same Knightmare that was causing more trouble for them than even Cornelia. Not to mention the fact that Suzaku was the son of Genbu Kururugi, Japan's Prime Minister before Britannia invaded. How would the Japanese react when they realized the son of their deceased leader was a soldier of the enemy, a traitor?

Lelouch's skin had turned pale white in shock when he saw his best friend in the cockpit of the white Knightmare. He looked at Naruto and wondered if this was a joke.

'No, not even Naruto and his great love for playing pranks would ever consider pulling like this.' Lelouch thought, still trying to find some rational explanation for Suzaku piloting the white Knightmare.

"So, you're the one piloting this Knightmare, Honorary Britannian Kururugi Suzaku." Naruto stated coldly, remaining in a ready stance. "To think the same person who was accused of assassinating Prince Clovis was the same person I fought in Shinjuku. You have a lot of nerve using such a weapon against your own people."

"I'm protecting my people by serving the Empire. It's people like you who endanger lives by causing anarchy in a pointless struggle!" Suzaku exclaimed.

"Pointless?!" Kallen shouted, now feeling angry and was ready to attack the Lancelot. "How can you call it pointless when we're struggling to take our home back?! Our home that was plundered by Britannia and they stripped us of our culture and name!"

"We lost the war seven years ago! Britannia won, Japan lost! Why can't you understand that?!" Suzaku retaliated.

'Damn it, Suzaku! How can you support them?!' Lelouch gritted his teeth. 'They took from you just as much as they took from your people!'

"You say the Japanese should roll over and accept whatever brutality Britannia dishes out on them? Endure all the pain of being their lapdogs and slaves and just hoping for things to get better. Don't make me laugh." Naruto narrowed his eyes. "That's a load of bull shit. The Japanese may have lost the war but that did not dampen the determination to free their country or the hate they feel towards Britannia for its crimes and it never will as long as people still dream of a free Japan and as long as Britannia continues its racial beliefs."

"If they join the system and try hard enough they can change it from within! It can be done without blood! If you are try to change it through contemptible methods all you proving is that you are not interested in protecting the innocent!" Suzaku countered.

"So you would bow your head as your masters order you to commit massacres like the one in Shinjuku, or in Saitama that the woman you are protecting attempted if not for us stepping in, and we know if not for certain circumstances she would have sacrificed the hostages to kill the terrorists at Lake Kawaguchi. You call _that_ without blood? What kind of soldier are you supposed to be?" Naruto said, starting to get angry. "If you refuse to understand then you are not only a fool but you are also a coward!"

"A coward?!" Suzaku's eyes widened before narrowing his eyes in anger.

"Yes, a coward! One who refuses to see the truth and ignores just how rotten your masters are and allow them to kill and oppress people, your own kin no less, to satisfy their so-called superiority and hope that if you bow your head and submit to that them that they'll actually get off their fat asses decide to start being nice. Let me make this warning perfectly clear, you will not be able to change Britannia no matter how many times you kiss their collective asses, it'll be the same each and every day until you die or realize the utter foolishness of your beliefs! The Japanese along with the rest of the Areas will never accept their rights, pride, and home being taken from them!" Naruto said coldly. "Now if we're done with the philosophies shut up and fight!"

Suzaku quickly fired another shot at the ground in front of Naruto, creating an explosion of dust then he put away the VARIS and pulled out his other MVS sword, preparing himself for his rematch with the blue Knightmare. He lunged through the dust and tried to bisect Seizan but Naruto easily dodged despite the Lancelot's speed.

"So it's as fast as Lancelot too!" Suzaku realized as he narrowly avoided another slash from Naruto's own MVS swords.

As Suzaku attacked again Naruto blocked both swords and then lashed out with a kick that sent the Lancelot staggering backwards. Naruto aimed to cut the Lancelot's arms off but Suzaku quickly activated the Blaze Luminous causing the swords to bounce off the shields.

'He's fighting better than he did in Shinjuku.' Naruto thought as Suzaku fired his hip mounted Slash Harkens at Seizan. "But it's still not enough!"

He dodged the Lancelot's Harkens and lashed out with his swords but the Lancelot jumped, flipping and twisting over Naruto who turned and fired his shoulder Slash Harkens at the airborne white Knightmare. However in an impressive display of fast reflexes Suzaku cut the Harkens with his MVS swords as he landed on the ground and then lunged at Seizan, aiming his swords at Seizan's chest.

"You're mine now!" Suzaku shouted through the Lancelot's speakers.

"Not even close!" Naruto replied as he launched his right MVS kunai through the right launcher, impacting the MVS sword in the Lancelot's left hand and in a burst of chakra and radiant wave energy the sword was instantly destroyed and the kunai stabbed the Lancelot's shoulder.

Suzaku grunted as he pulled back and the MVS kunai retracted back into the launcher. The shoulder sparked from the damage but it was still usable so he quickly discarded the remains of the now broken MVS sword in his right hand and grabbed the VARIS rifle.

'I can't let him use those Harkens again.' Suzaku thought, keeping himself calm even though he still sweating.

'They're all focused on us now. C.C. should be in position by now.' Naruto could see through C.C.'s eyes that she was close to her target.

Xxx

C.C. spotted the G-1 once she finally made it down the mountain, her Rinnegan spotting the eight Sutherlands and the Sakuradite powering them surrounding the large structure.

"Found you." C.C. whispered as she started channeling chakra through her gloves. "**Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!**"

A white mist enveloped the entire area, covering everything and making it impossible for anyone at the window to see the mountain.

Euphie looked up from the console and noticed the mist. 'This mist, where did it-'

"_GAH!_"

"_What's happening?!_"

"_We're under at-_"

Through the mist Shinryoku moved silently and dispatched its enemies with lethal precision and taking them out before they could even blink. C.C. remembered the story Naruto told her of Zabuza Momochi who had the title Demon of the Mist because he was an expert in the silent kill technique and liked to use mists as cover.

'Well, I'm already a Witch. Perhaps I'm now the Witch who hides in the Mist to steal young maidens so I can eat them.' C.C. grinned manically as she dispatched another Sutherland.

"What's happening out there?" Euphemia walked to the window to get a better look.

She saw sparks of light through the mist but nothing else.

"Princess Euphemia, we must-"

The G-1 was suddenly rocked by a sudden shake and the sound of explosions rang out around the mobile base. The legs were cut and the weapons were destroyed leaving it completely helpless. Euphie cried as she fell on her back from the intense vibrations.

"Princess Euphemia!

The aids would have run to help her up but everyone froze as a large shadow fell over them. They looked up and saw a green and black Knightmare with purple ringed eyes staring at them.

"_Princess Euphemia li Britannia, we meet again._" The voice of the woman who wore an avian mask that Euphie had met before during the terrorist crisis at the Kawaguchi hotel said through the speakers. "_I believe you remember the last time we met at Lake Kawaguchi?_"

Euphie could only stare at the green Knightmare in stunned and frightened silence.

"Run Princess!" A man took out his gun to shoot but Shinryoku smashed the windows open, sending shards flying and making everyone jump back in shock but luckily no one was hurt.

"_Don't interrupt me. Princess Euphemia, as you probably remember we are not in the business of targeting civilians which was why we allowed you to leave last time despite your political status. This time though that's not the case as you are now a legitimate military target, making you just as important as your sister. So now I offer you the same choice we offered your sister when we fought her in Saitama, you can either surrender yourself now and become a prisoner of war or I'll destroy this base and everyone in it._" The woman said in dark tone as the Knightmare held out its hand. "_And like before this offer expires in ten seconds._"

Euphie stared in silent fear with small tears coming down her face but she quickly stepped onto the Knightmare's hand.

"Princess no!" An aid shouted.

"_You must be scared to death but you still step forward to save everyone's lives. How courageous._" The woman stated, the Knightmare looking down at her with what almost looked like a soft expression. "_Time to go._"

Shinryoku vanished into the mist.

"Attention all remaining forces! The G-1 has been attacked and Princess Euphemia has been captured!" A man shouted into the radio.

The transmission was intercepted by C.C. who transmitted it on all channels.

Xxx

_"Attention all remaining forces! The G-1 has been attacked by an enemy Knightmare and Princess Euphemia has been captured_!_"_

"What?!" Guilford paused in mid-battle with Todoh. "Princess Euphemia was captured?!"

Xxx

"How can that be?! The G-1 would have had a full squad of Knightmares to protect it!" Darlton shouted in shock and horror upon hearing of Euphemia's capture.

Xxx

_"Attention all remaining forces! The G-1 has been attacked by an enemy Knightmare and Princess Euphemia has been captured_!_"_

Cornelia's heart nearly stopped when she heard the transmission. "WHAT?!"

Suzaku stopped in mid-battle, freezing when he heard the transmission. "What?!"

Lelouch's eyes widened. "What?!"

"_The Knightmare responsible was the black and green Knightmare seen with Zero._"

"The green Knightmare!" Suzaku's eyes widened in horror. "I forgot about it! It's not here with the blue one!"

"So she made it after all."Naruto commented thoughtfully.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SISTER?!" Cornelia shouted, struggling to move her Gloucester but it was completely buried thus it was unable to move.

"Did you not notice someone missing? After all, Zero had another female ace before our new red friend here." Naruto gestured to the Guren. "Don't tell me you forgot about our green friend."

Suzaku's eyes widened even further. "No…She couldn't have made it all way to the G-1!"

"She did and it was easy to take out the home guard with the entire Royal Guard and the only advanced Knightmare they have all the way out here. Did you really think there wasn't a chance someone couldn't slip by all your forces that were busy with the Black Knights and the JLF to attack the home base or that we would only target Cornelia when we found out Euphemia was present as well?" Naruto rhetorically asked. "Once again Cornelia your pride as the Goddess of Victory has cost you the battle, victory _itself_ has defeated you."

'C.C. managed to capture Euphie?!' Lelouch realized with widened eyes. 'This wasn't part of the plan! Damn it, Naruto you and C.C. are acting on your own again!'

"DAMN YOU! LET HER GO!" Cornelia struggled harder to break free but she couldn't move an inch. "COWARDS!"

"She's done nothing to you! You even praised her for helping with the terrorists at Lake Kawaguchi! Are you that cold hearted that you'd kill anyone in your way?!" Suzaku shouted, ready to attack and bust his way through the blue Knightmare to go rescue Euphie.

"You speak as if she was killed, not captured and for the record she became a military target the moment she stepped out into the field even if she only stayed back to monitor the battle. You two seem have trouble understanding that this is real war whether you label us as terrorists or not and the point of the battle is to make your enemy bleed and go after high ranked targets to leave the enemy army in disarray. Even if we fail to capture Cornelia we still managed to capture the Sub-Viceroy and another member of Britannian Royalty." Naruto retorted. "Now then, let's finish this."

"Let her go!" Suzaku shouted as he charged forward, aiming the VARIS rifle and ready to pull the trigger.

'Let's test this out.' Naruto thought as he put away one sword and charged forward. 'All I need is an attack with enough power and force to overload it and I know just the one.'

A bright blue light appeared in Seizan's right hand, looking like a spiraling sphere that grew in size. Naruto had to appreciate the fact that it was extremely cool to make a Rasengan using Seizan and that his Knightmare probably had better control of it than he did when he was first learning how to master the technique.

"Say hello…" Naruto thrust his arm forward. "To the Rasengan!"

The spiraling orb collided with the Lancelot's VARIS as it fired, causing a bright burst of light with tendrils of blue energy flying surrounding both Knightmares as the Lancelot was slowly being pushed back, its feet skidding through the ground. The Rasengan blasted through the shell from the VARIS, shredding the VARIS and then continued into the arm, blowing it apart instantly. The Lancelot's cockpit flashed red while Suzaku stared with widened eyes at the destroyed arm. The cockpit sparked with electricity from the chakra that went through the destroyed arm and shocked Suzaku along with short circuiting most of the Lancelot's systems.

The rest of the chakra interacting with Sakuradite scattered throughout the frame overloaded the Lancelot's power systems, burning the power filter out and shutting the Lancelot down.

"What's happening?!" Suzaku struggled to move but everything went dead and the Lancelot fell over like a puppet that had its strings cut.

"It's over." Naruto said as Seizan stood over the Lancelot victoriously. "Your good but you still fight poorly. Both your skills and your reasons for fighting are weak."

'It can't be! It's got to work!' Suzaku grunted as he kept on trying to do something, lift an arm, a leg, even a finger. 'Damn it! Work! I have to save her!'

Xxx

"MY LANCELOT! WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY LANCELOT?!" Lloyd shouted when all power readings from the Lancelot went beyond the safety measure and then instantly died.

Cecile could only stare at the readings, wondering what could have overloaded all of the Lancelot's systems.

Xxx

"OH DEAR! DID MY CHILD BREAK YOUR LITTLE TOY EARL OF PUDDING?!" Rakshata laughed like a lunatic as she stood up danced around her couch, having watched the whole battle through her shared vision with Naruto and Seizan. "THAT'S MY LITTLE AWESOME KNIGHTMARE! YOU MAKE MOMMY SO PROUD!"

Honestly, she felt like running all the way to Japan and giving Naruto a full tongue kiss for once again coming out on top with her child easily taking down Lloyd's creation.

Xxx

'Wow...' Kallen stared in awe what had happened.

'Is this the power of the Seventh Generation Knightmare?' Cornelia thought in awe and frustration. 'How did these terrorists gain such advanced technology?'

"Good work, Seizan. Now let's move in and capture Cornelia." Lelouch said, wishing to take control of the situation.

"Right." Kallen nodded as she and Naruto approached the down Gloucester.

"Wait!" Suzaku leapt out of his cockpit and pulled out a pistol.

Lelouch quickly fired a warning in front of Suzaku that made him jump back with a shout and fall back into the Lancelot's cockpit.

"Stand down, Kururugi!" Lelouch said coldly. "This battle has ended."

Suzaku would have tried again but Naruto picked up a boulder and slammed it into the cockpit, trapping Suzaku inside.

"That'll hold him. Now then…" Naruto turned Seizan around and walked towards Cornelia's Knightmare.

Cornelia wanted to scream, punch, and kick as they approached. Becoming a prisoner of terrorists was a major blow to her reputation and honor but she couldn't, not if she wanted to find out where they took Euphie. At the very least they would be together and she could protect Euphie from whatever torture Zero had planned.

"Now then," Seizan placed its hand on the ground around the Gloucester and the softened enough that Naruto was able to pull the Gloucester up, at least enough of it out that Cornelia could get out of the cockpit.

It was then Cornelia realized that wouldn't have been long before she had possibly died of oxygen deprivation once the Gloucester's energy filter ran out.

"Now exit the cockpit or I'll tear it open." Naruto stated calmly but held his sword out to show he was serious.

Cornelia gritted her teeth as she was about to open the hatch, swearing she would get her revenge on Zero and the Black Knights for humiliating her and taking Euphie. She opened the hatch and slowly stepped out, glaring up at the blue Knightmare.

"Zero, look!" Ohgi shouted, his Burai pointing to the sky.

Everyone stopped and looked up to see a large number of VTOL gunships approaching.

"_For Princess Cornelia and Princess Euphemia!_" Those words echoed through the radio.

"They called in an airstrike!" Lelouch gritted his teeth. 'C.C. took Euphie and in response they called in a massive air strike. Too many even with Naruto and Kallen here.' "Retreat!"

"What? We got her!" Tamaki protested.

"This is quickly becoming a war of attrition and we won't last long if we stay and try to capture Cornelia while fighting them off at the same time." Lelouch responded. "All Black Knights, retreat to your exit points."

"Right." Ohgi nodded and took off with Tamaki.

"WAIT! COME BACK HERE!" Cornelia shouted as the Knightmares turned away, desperate to find her sister. She pulled out her pistol and shot at Zero's Knightmare as it vanished into the forest. "IT'S ME YOU WANT, ZERO SO COME AND TAKE ME! COME BACK YOU COWARD!"

Her shouts went unheard as the Knightmares all retreated from the location. Cornelia fell to her knees banged her fists on the armor of her Gloucester and let out a scream of pain and anguish that echoed throughout the entire mountain.

"EUPHIE!"

Xxx

"Seizan, where's Shinryoku?" Lelouch asked through the radio.

"Hiding out in a cave, off the beaten path with Princess Euphemia." Naruto answered. "You and Q1, take off. I'll head over to their location."

"Seizan, this isn't what we planned." Lelouch said with a scowl.

"I know but they launched the white Knightmare on Euphemia's orders so we had a chance to find who the pilot is." Naruto replied. "Don't worry, we won't hurt her or keep her for very long. She's only the Sub-Viceroy so she doesn't have nearly as much influence as Cornelia."

"You captured her to find out who the pilot was?" Kallen asked curiously though knowing it was now moot since they now knew who the pilot was.

"Talk later, move now." Naruto said as he sped off.

'Typical. He always alters the plan in the middle of the operation and C.C. always agrees with him. It's annoying but they know enough to make sure that even if things go south that they can change enough of the plan to counter any situation.' Lelouch thought. 'We still failed to capture Cornelia again but we got to test the Guren and it performed well, even better than what I expected.'

At the very least they defeated Cornelia's forces again and no doubt even more people would flock to the Black Knights and their cause. In the meantime Lelouch was trying purposely to not think about Suzaku and his newly revealed status as the pilot of the white Knightmare and the problem he could cause in the future.

Xxx

Euphemia took the moment to admire the interior of the cave she was in, having almost never seen such natural beauty in her life. She was following the cloaked woman named Shinryoku deeper into the cave and even though she could have tried to run she doubted she would get very far. She felt something from this woman, a feeling of great power rolling off her in waves.

"What do you think of this little hideaway, Princess?" Shinryoku stopped in front of an underground lake. "Can't say you have seen many places like this, can you?"

"I haven't." Euphie admitted. "I've seen all forms of Britannian art and architecture since I was a child but I did like to try and explore any nearby forests with…" She trailed off when she thought of her favourite siblings.

"Hm…" Shinryoku sat down and looked at the lake.

"I know I agreed to be your prisoner but why am I here and not in some kind of cell?" Euphie asked, unable to mask her curiosity.

"You are a prisoner of war for as long as I, Seizan, or Zero decides but since you are with me the manner of how you are treated or where you are held is up to me and I have no patience to drag you to some dirty cell." Shinryoku dryly answered. "Besides, are you seriously going to question me on how I decide to handle on where and how a prisoner is treated when the JLF and most of the Japanese wouldn't be so accommodating, especially to a Princess of Britannia?"

Euphie flinched. "Uh…right."

"Don't worry, we have no interest in you other than a passing curiosity. Cornelia is the head of the Area's military thus making her in Zero's eyes target number one. The reason you are here is actually because of Seizan, who you already met." Shinryoku continued, just staring at the lake.

"Seizan?" Euphie remembered the fox masked man from that night.

"Yes. He's developed an interest in you for a few reasons and wished to meet you, away from the eyes of Cornelia and Zero." Shinryoku clarified.

"Why would he want to speak to me?" Euphie questioned. "What makes me so special? I'm only the Sub-Viceroy."

"There's more to you than that."

Euphie turned around and watched as the man with the fox mask named Seizan walked into the cave.

"Unlike your sister, in fact unlike most Britannians you are not driven with the same mindset. I have never heard you speak ill of the Japanese, never referring to them as Elevens or any derogatory term even once, risking your life for the hostages at Lake Kawaguchi when your sister would have sacrificed them to kill the terrorists and valuing innocent life above the success of any military operation." Seizan stopped just a few feet from Euphemia. "As a member of the Britannian Royal Family one would think you would embody the typical attitude towards anyone of non-Britannian blood."

"I don't believe in that." Euphie frowned, hating the fact that this man believed she was like that. "The pointless violence, stripping people of their homes and labelling them as numbers instead of people. It's just…it's just…wrong."

"Britannia lives by the creed that all men are not born equal and that only the strong survive." Seizan pointed out.

"We may not be born equal but we are created equal." Euphie replied, standing tall and proud like her sister taught. "True equality is not an issue of gender, race, or social standing but the universal right of all humanity."

These words seemed to surprise Seizan as he tilted his head and remained silent for a moment. "You are a unique person amongst your family, Princess Euphemia. Truly, it is a pity that they do not share your ideals. Now I have a question."

"Huh?" Euphie wondered what he was going to ask.

"In your mind, what does it take to bring true peace?"

"True peace?" Euphie repeated softly.

"Yes. True peace, as in a world where there is not constant fighting, hatred, and death. Many people have come with their own ideas of peace. They believe peace could be achieved through force, power, love, understanding, and so much more but their ideals of peace clashed with each other and ironically they never truly gave peace a chance as they constantly fought over who was right." Seizan explained. "They were so proud, so convinced they were right that they believe anyone else's idea of peace was wrong and led to greater conflict. Britannia's idea of peace is obviously through conquest but what is yours?"

"Why would ask me a question like that? What about what you and Zero are doing? You're committing terrorism and destabilizing the Area. Why you ask me what true peace is?" Euphemia pointed out.

"This so called Area was once home to a proud people who lost it to conquerors who took their land, culture, and identity and left them to live in ruins they once called home while their rulers grow fat off their suffering. It was never stable to begin with and it was only a matter of time before someone like Zero rose up. This is not their fault; this is your homeland's fault for hurting, torturing, and killing them for the past seven years. This is not true peace; it's a farce, a mask of indifference to the suffering of the world." Seizan answered with a cold tone, noticing Euphemia flinching from either the tone or the truth in his words. "I ask you because you not only different in your beliefs you are different because you not the Emperor. So tell me, what do you believe is actual peace?"

Euphie was silent for a few minutes before coming up with an answer. "Peace is not achieved through conquest, or defeating your enemy. To bring peace you must…find a way to overcome your hate. Show people that violence is wrong through simple acts of kindness and love, protect those who can't protect themselves, and heal their wounds so they won't have to live a life of pain and suffering and strive to show them they can live without violence!"

She cried out the last part because she spent so much time holding in her believes because her sister kept her from speaking out, fearing what would happen if their father heard her views. To be able to speak her mind felt so refreshing that she couldn't help it.

"Like I said, it's truly a pity that you are the possibly the only one amongst your family to have such great ideals." Seizan remarked with a tone of approval. "If you were sitting on the throne instead of your father I have no doubt the world would be a much different place."

"Thank you." Euphie said softly, wondering why he asked her that question. "Why are you so curious?"

Seizan walked past Euphie and looked across the lake. "Zero believes that peace can only be achieved if Britannia is destroyed, seeing it as a blight on the world with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It hasn't occurred to him it's impossible to make the world a better place if the western hemisphere destroyed and left vulnerable for the other powers to swoop and peck at Britannia's corpse like vultures. While I work with him we both have different ideas on how to bring about peace."

"And what is your idea?" Euphie asked, genuinely curious.

"If there is to be peace then it must be made with the right people deciding that the wars must end. People who not afraid to voice their thoughts on how people should be treated, Britannian, Japanese, or otherwise. People who are capable of bringing them all together for a single vision." Seizan slowly answered. "In my mind, that will take more than just the Black Knights and Zero but it's possible. It'll be slow and hardworking and the path filled with sweat, blood, and tears as you must first convince yourself peace is possible, then another person, then a group, a country, and then…the world."

A drop fell from the ceiling, echoing throughout the now silent cave.

"Seizan…" Euphie whispered, having listened to every word the man had said.

This man, he seemed different from the rest of the terrorists, even different from Zero. For the brief second she entertained the idea of asking him if she could see his face.

"Hmm…Perhaps we should end our conversation here." Seizan turned around and faced her. "Your sister is bound to be worried sick about you."

Euphie's eyes widened. Worried sick was not the word to describe Cornelia as it most likely that her older sister would do everything to keep her back in the Viceroy Palace and under constant every guard and no doubt never leave her out of her sight, not even to go to the bathroom.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you, Princess Euphemia." Seizan took Euphie's hand and slid his mask up enough to kiss it. "Hopefully we'll meet again."

He slid a radio into her hand and smirked at the shade of pink covering Euphie's cheeks and stepped back.

"This will lead Cornelia straight to you." Seizan and Shinryoku slipped into the shadows and were gone, leaving Euphie alone in the cave. "Oh, and if your sister asks why we wanted you, you can go ahead and tell her we wanted information on the pilot of the white Knightmare."

Euphie's eyes widened but they were gone before she could ask them if they knew about Suzaku being the pilot of the Lancelot.

Euphie sighed and held up the radio and quickly picked an open channel. "To anyone out there, this is Princess Euphemia li Britannia, requesting pick up. I repeat, this is Princess Euphemia li Britannia, requesting pick up."

The instant Cornelia heard her voice on the radio she hijacked the nearest Gloucester and shot up the mountain where the signal was coming from.

It stopped right in front of the cave and when her factsphere spotted Euphie Cornelia led out a joyful cry. "EUPHIE!"

She jumped out of the cockpit when she pulled the Gloucester to a stop and rushed towards her sister, enveloping her in a tight hug which Euphie happily returned.

Cornelia then started checking her little sister over for injuries. "Are you all right? Did they hurt you anywhere?"

"I'm fine sister." Euphie smiled. "I'm fine."

Xxx

Lelouch hopped out of his Burai as Seizan and Shinryoku stopped and powered down. Lelouch and Kallen made it to the rendezvous point they had set up with Zero's aces and had been waiting for a three minutes before they arrived.

"Well, all things considered that didn't end so bad." Naruto as he hopped off his Knightmare and landed on the ground.

"The point of the mission was to capture Cornelia, not Euphemia." Lelouch scowled, trying to not to think of Suzaku being the Lancelot's pilot.

"We know but at the same time we also know that it's not easy to keep to a plan in the heat of battle. We saw an opportunity and exploited it." C.C. shrugged as she stood next to Naruto. "That's the whole point of a battle, see an opportunity and exploit it."

"So where is Princess Euphemia?" Kallen asked.

"Left her back in a cave for Cornelia to find her. She's only the Sub-Viceroy and not our real target but on the bright side we managed to find out who is the pilot of the white Knightmare, the Lancelot." Naruto answered.

"All this time…" Kallen looked down at the ground as she clenched her fists. "All this time he was fighting against us. His own people, all because he doesn't have the balls to stand up to Britannia. He'd rather we bow our heads to them, thinking we need to adapt…How the hell can he justify something like that?!"

"It seems we were not the only ones with secrets." C.C. mused.

"It's impossible…" Lelouch turned to a tree and punched it as hard as possible. "It's impossible!"

"Lelouch!" Kallen grabbed Lelouch's arm, noticing the red stains on the now torn glove. "Hitting a tree isn't going to help. I know you guys are friends but there's nothing we can do about it if it's true."

"Why? He should have as much reason to hate Britannia as the rest of us! They invaded his homeland, his father committed suicide because of them, so why is he helping them?!" Lelouch tore his arm free of Kallen's grip. "How could he even become the pilot of a Knightmare like that anyhow?!"

"The Lancelot was built by a science division not part of the military. No matter what their attitude is towards Numbers it's possible for Honorary Britannians to be used as test subjects for new weaponry, including Knightmare Frames." C.C. offered calmly. "Suzaku would have had to achieve a high performance rate to become the pilot."

"Look, Lelouch, whether you want to believe it or not it's the truth and there's nothing we can do to change the fact that Suzaku is working with Britannia." Naruto stepped forward. "We can wonder why he's working for them later but right now we have to move. We're still close enough that an enemy Knightmare could spot us."

Lelouch and Kallen looked at them and nodded, deciding to put their questions on hold for now. Naruto was right, they needed to get out before they were discovered.

"C.C." Lelouch called out, making the green haired girl stop and look at him. "I don't know why snow is white, but I know it's beautiful like Naruto said. Don't hate it."

C.C. looked at Lelouch with a surprised look before nodding. "I see."

'Well, he's finally coming around.' Naruto thought with a smile.

Xxx

A truck was that driving through the empty town came to sudden stop as someone came onto the road. The person was obviously injured as he was limping and using a walking stick to keep himself on his two feet with a hand clutching his left eye. The man fell to his knees as the truck screeched to a halt just before hitting him.

"Great another soldier." A man in lab coat groaned as the drive tried to make the man move by hocking at him.

"I can't fail again…Zero!" The man, Jeremiah Gottwald cried out as he collapsed onto the ground.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

Suzaku groaned as he awoke, his eyes taking in the sight of the ceiling above him. 'Where…where am I?'

"Suzaku, are you all right?" Cecile's concerned face came into view.

"Cecile? What happened?" Suzaku asked quietly, wondering why his throat felt so dry.

"You passed out from heatstroke and dehydration. The Lancelot was completely disabled and you couldn't get out because of a large rock jammed into the cockpit. We had to pry the cockpit open to get you out but you were already unconscious when we found you." Cecile explained, a look relief on her face. "We managed to find you by tracking the Lancelot's last known coordinates."

'Oh right…THE BATTLE!' Suzaku sat up with an alarmed look as he remembered. "Princess Euphemia!"

"Don't worry!" Cecile put her hands on Suzaku's shoulders to push him back down. "Princess Euphemia is safe. They found her."

"They…found her." Suzaku whispered as Cecile pushed him back down.

"Yes, they found her near a cave. She's okay." Cecile nodded.

'She's safe.' Suzaku closed his eyes as he sighed in relief. 'I'm glad…but he did it again. I challenged that Knightmare and I lost again. No matter what I do, Zero and his two Knightmares are always one step ahead, undermining the system and inciting chaos and not even Euphemia, someone who did never anything to him was endangered because of his madness.'

"Yes, the Princess is perfectly fine…" Lloyd's voice called out, sounding so sweet it was almost sickening as he walked in with a dangerous smile. "Which is more than I can say for you, Kururugi. Exactly, WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY LANCELOT?!"

Suzaku's eyes widened as he briefly wondered if he was better off dying of heatstroke, especially when he saw foam coming out of Lloyd's mouth.

Xxx

General Bartley was torn between feeling relief and feeling very afraid.

He was no longer a prisoner and was being sent back to Area Eleven with the blessing of the Emperor himself. The bad news is that the Emperor revealed he _knew_ the secret project he and Prince Clovis had been working on and had a new project in mind for him.

"General Bartley, due to my son Clovis's death you are no longer in charge of Project Code-R. Though you failed to produce the intended results that my son wished for you will have the chance to achieve something greater." The Emperor gazed down through the computer screen at Bartley with a look that made Bartley feel like he was an ant about to be squished.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Bartley dropped to one knee and bowed, trying to keep himself from shaking.

"Before the test subject was shipped to Area Eleven there was a second subject that stayed in the lab in India for two weeks before escaping. The scientists extracted blood samples and discovered something…interesting." The Emperor stated with a small smile that would have made Bartley shake even harder if he looked up from the floor. "The first test subject had remarkable regenerative abilities while the other possessed strange powers."

"Strange powers, Your Majesty?" Bartley hesitantly asked.

"Yes. The source of the first test subject's regenerative power was called the Code, a great power that induces immortality as a side effect." The Emperor continued.

'A side-effect? What causes immortality as a side effect?' Bartley wondered.

"You will be given a batch of suitable test subjects that are already being gathered in Area Eleven. I want you to inject the blood of both test subjects to see if these powers can be duplicated." The Emperor narrowed his eyes. "I expect there to be results or you will face more than a mere stripping of your rank."

"Y-Yes Your Majesty!" Bartley quickly replied with sweat pouring down his head. He could not fail this time or he'll wish he'd remained a prisoner.

"And you will answer to them." The Emperor smirked at something behind Bartley.

Bartley looked over his shoulder and gasped. "Y-You? It can't be!"

Xxx

"You're saying the blue Knightmare made a _sphere_ of spiraling energy that collided with the shields and that it overloaded Lancelot?" Lloyd asked, interrogating Suzaku about what happened to the Lancelot and watching it on the recording of the fight taken from the Lancelot.

Suzaku nodded. "Yes. I probably should have dodged considering what happened when I used the shields to block something from that Knightmare in Shinjuku. I fired the VARIS just as the Knightmare was in front of me but the it's attack overpowered the VARIS and destroyed the Lancelot's arm and I also think it overloaded the Lancelot for some reason."

Lloyd shared a look with Cecile who seemed surprised. "Overloaded…How could it-"

"Yes, it seems Rakshata somehow figured out the weakness of the Lancelot, possibly by observing the scanning data from her Knightmares." Lloyd nodded with a rare frown on his face.

"What do you mean?" Suzaku asked, wondering what Lloyd meant.

"The Blaze Luminous works absorbing excess energy and circles it through the entire Frame. It was done by the heavy amount of Sakuradite scattered throughout the Frame. If it were to absorb too much energy it would overload the entire frame." Cecile explained.

Lloyd finished. "Thus short circuiting the poor Lancelot. However from the scanning data we received from the fight it seems the Yggdrasil Drive was overloaded by large amounts of energy that disrupted Lancelot's systems. It's possible that happened because of the attack that destroyed the Lancelot's arm." Lloyd frowned deeply at that, something that is not seen often on his face. "What doesn't make sense is that the amount of energy that overloaded the Lancelot was enormous, insanely enormous I might add."

"That's right. The scanning data we received registered a strange energy signature interacting with the Lancelot's system before it was overloaded. It measured over a thousand percent increase that destabilized and overloaded the Core Luminous." Cecile said, remembering the scanning data. "It's impossible for any Knightmares to have an energy filter with that amount of power."

"At the very least the Lancelot is still in one piece and we can easily repair it. We'll just have to use the non additional charge conducting particles correct this weakness." Lloyd sighed. "It'll be expensive but it can be done."

"Unfortunately that means the Lancelot will be out of commission as we work on repairing it. It'll take a while to replace the destroyed arm along with the power systems." Cecile sighed with Lloyd. "And let's not forget how much it'll cost to fully replace everything."

"In the mean time I can only wonder what that energy sphere was." Lloyd grinned again. "Rakshata's Wave Surger usually expands radiant wave energy outwards, much like a shield similar to the Blaze Luminous but from what you have explained, Suzaku, it sounds like Rakshata found a way to compact that energy into a sphere, containing large amounts of energy that can overload or destroy anything it touches. Did you manage to damage that Knightmare?"

Suzaku's face turned grim. "I came upon Princess Cornelia being pinned down by a red Knightmare with a strange claw. I was about to engage it when that blue Knightmare showed up and I tried to fight it. I managed to fight it to a standstill before it used that energy sphere and overloaded the Lancelot."

"Red Knightmare?" Lloyd looked even more interested as he stared at the image of the red Knightmare, specifically its claw. "A new Knightmare in Zero's possession? And a claw, you say? That's definitely Rakshata's work."

"Rakshata made another one?" Cecile asked, sounding surprised even though she shouldn't.

"Fascinating. Things are just getting more interesting." Lloyd began imagining all sorts of Knightmares that were as deadly and powerful with pilots as skilled as the ones in the Knightmares Zero had in his possession.

"You know what thing was?" Suzaku questioned.

"If what you say is true then this red Knightmare was what caused the landslide." Lloyd answered.

"What?!" Suzaku's eyes went wide as dinner plates.

"Looks like it heated underground water inside the mountain and created an artificial avalanche." Lloyd continued.

"How could they?" Suzaku whispered as he clenched his fist as an angry look appeared on his face. "That landslide could have killed thousands of civilians!"

"Actually the city was evacuated on Princess Euphemia's orders and even then the avalanche stopped on the outskirts." Lloyd shook his head. "Seems like someone calculate how much energy would be needed because it wasn't used at full blast. Meaning that Zero intentionally held off because he knew that the city would be buried."

"That still doesn't excuse them! What if the city wasn't evacuated in time?" Suzaku asked, still angry.

"It's the price of new inventions, I'm afraid. Simulated results and real life applications are different." Lloyd shrugged. "Not that it matters now. We'll have to work on installing newer and safer shields to better handle that energy sphere."

"Yes, you should rest now, Suzaku. You had a long day." Cecile nodded with a smile.

Suzaku sighed but relented, knowing that Cecile wouldn't let him leave if he tried to get up.

Xxx

C.C. grunted as she tried to fight the sun shining down on her face as she rolled over but found there was no warm body for her to snuggle up to. "Naruto, where are you?"

"Sorry, couldn't sleep." Naruto was looking out the window of their room.

"Can you do something about the sun? It's too early." C.C. grumbled as she pulled the covers over her head.

"Come on, Cera, you know that the sun rises when it's supposed to rise. Not even the Rikudo Sennin himself could change the time when the sun rises, even though he probably could but never did." Naruto smirked.

"Perhaps I should try and find out." C.C.'s voice was slightly muffled by the covers.

"You'd really try?" Naruto smirked.

"If you don't come over here and give me something to hold I will." C.C. tried to sound threatening but a yawn from her dimmed down the threatening tone.

Naruto chuckled. "Your addicted, you know that."

"I'm not; I just want what is mine." C.C. sat up and removed the covers to show a bit of her body to him. "Are you _not_ addicted?"

"Playing the old trick on me? What happens if someone wakes up and knocks on the door?" Naruto mused.

"We tell them to go away or die a horrible death." C.C. said simply as she held out her arms. "Now come…"

Naruto smiled and came over to the bed, allowing C.C. to pull him down onto it and kiss him on the lips which he returned in full force.

"Hey, Cera?" Naruto said when they pulled away.

"Yes?"

"You asked something of me on my birthday, remember?"

"I remember. It was something I wanted you to say." C.C. said with a smile.

"You asked me to say something," Naruto leaned in and whispered in her ear. "You wanted to me say it with love and tenderness."

"Yes?" C.C. closed her eyes and she nuzzled against Naruto's neck.

"I love you…Cera Celeste." Naruto whispered.

A tear fell down C.C.'s cheek as her smile literally glowed like the sun. "And I love you, Naruto Uzumaki."

Xxx

"The Japan Liberation Front was nearly wiped out by your Narita operation Viceroy. Now we are hunting down the survivors one by one."

"Are you being sarcastic? We're barely pulling our forces back together after that fiasco." Cornelia was not in a good mood; actually saying she was not in a good mood would be a bit of an understatement.

The annoying bureaucrats kept on spewing nonsense but she could barely listen to them. It hadn't even been a day and she couldn't help but think of how bad the battle had gone. She had gone into battle, confident that victory would be hers over the Japan Liberation Front and once again Zero had humiliated her and almost captured her if not for another form of unexpected help from an air strike the staff at the G1 had called in but that wasn't what had angered her.

It was the fact that his knights had temporarily captured Euphie despite the protection the G1 should have had, defeated both her and the Lancelot and left them on the mountain, unable to do anything as they escaped.

She hadn't left Euphie's side for a second, even going as far as to share the same bed like they used to do when they were younger. Cornelia hadn't just been scared when she heard Euphie had been captured she had been terrified. Zero crushed her army under a million of miles of dirt and mud, lured her into a trap and defeated her _again_, and was just a second away from capturing her but none of that mattered when compared to how she felt when she heard that her little sister, sweet innocent Euphie had been captured. The few hours she had been missing had been absolute Hell for Cornelia as she was plagued with terrifying thoughts of what the Black Knights could have done to Euphie.

The mere thought of her sister enduring painful and humiliating torture had kept Cornelia up for half the night and it was only through the reassuring presence that her sister was alive and with her again was she able to fall asleep. She hadn't been this terrified or upset since the day her idol, Marianne vi Britannia had been killed by terrorists and when Lelouch and Nunnally had been sent to Japan and killed by the Elevens.

'I failed again. Zero outwitted me again and because of my foolishness not only was I almost captured but Euphie was almost killed.' Cornelia thought, shame and anger swelling up inside of her, gripping her hands into fists in her lap. 'He knew what I would do and used it against me, lured me out where he wanted so that new ace of his could take me down, have the blue one wait for Kururugi to try and rescue me, and then sent the green one to kidnap Euphie while we were distracted. '

The fact of the matter is it was not the fault of the staff for failing to protect Euphie, it was not the fault of Suzaku for launching the Lancelot to come save her and leaving Euphie unprotected, it wasn't even Zero's fault.

It was all her fault.

She had nothing but utter confidence that she could handle the Black Knights if they interfered and Zero knew that, using her confidence against her again. She left the Lancelot behind because she didn't want to rely on the pilot who was an Eleven but when the situation got so bad she ordered the Eleven to launch the Lancelot, thus opening Euphie to being captured by the green Knightmare that had been waiting.

_"Once again Cornelia your pride as the Goddess of Victory has cost you the battle, victory itself has defeated you."_

'Never again. I won't let myself become overconfident again, not against Zero or his aces.' Cornelia thought darkly. 'I can't afford to lose to them again or next time there won't be anything to save me _and_ Euphie.'

"Prince Clovis said that we shouldn't force the subway and mining tunnels to be sealed off." The Vice-Minister explained weakly "Doing so would fuel the rebellion, giving the Chinese Federation an excuse to attack."

"They already HAVE an excuse." Cornelia pointed out dryly, scoffing at the man's incompetence as he flinched from her stare "Zero is growing stronger and bolder every day. He's interfered in our operations not once, not twice, but thrice, his aces defeated almost every opponent they faced and nearly captured Sub-Viceroy Euphemia despite the rear guard staying behind to protect the G1."

"Vice-Minister." Dalton spoke up, cutting off the inept-bureaucrat's mutters of confusion with a pointed look. "Internal affairs has appointed a special group of Elevens to sub-govern these areas, isn't that right? A group called the N.A.C. When we stormed Narita, we looked for evidence of the N.A.C's conspiracies. But it was buried in the landslide." Darlton turned to face his princess."Still, our suspicions remain high…if we suppress them now…"

Cornelia nodded, mulling over her Knight's information as she sat back in her chair, musing over the possible ramifications of such an action.

"A group of purebloods and plutocrats…" She muttered, contemplating finishing them off and getting them out of the way. "Relic's of their forgotten past…"

"Wait, please! There's no evidence of these rumors at all." The aid stood up but sweated under the gaze of Cornelia and Darlton so he grabbed a cloth to wipe his head. "If you suppress them the Elevens' economy will certainly collapse. That means no tax revenue to send to the Homeland. Also it's a Prime Directive of the Empire that Numbers should take care of their own kind."

"And what have you done to find the Black Knights?" Cornelia asked, sounding annoyed.

"We unearthed the shield machine they left, showing Zero was behind the Narita operation but that's all we've got. You can't squeeze information out of corpses."

"So you can't catch Zero and you don't want to hit Kyoto." Cornelia mused. "Do you know what the word incompetent is Minister? It's for people who can't get results."

Euphemia had tuned out the conversation, looking down at her laptop and seeing the reports but her mind flashed back to meeting the mysterious masked knights of Zero. She couldn't help but ponder what the masked man, Seizan meant when he talked about achieving true peace. Why speak of something like that when he's helping Zero start a war with Britannia? What is he trying to accomplish?

_"It's been a pleasure meeting you, Princess Euphemia." Seizan took Euphie's hand and slid his mask up enough to kiss it. "Hopefully we'll meet again."_

Euphemia couldn't help but blush at the memory, feeling somewhat flattered for some reason. Perhaps it was because in a way Seizan was a knight himself and actually listened to her views while her sister and others had to keep her silent because if the Emperor realized she would perhaps be in danger of being used as a pawn against Cornelia. Whatever it was it made her curious and wondering if she would meet the masked warrior again.

"You're Highness!" The door opened and a servant rushed in, gasping for breath. "I apologize for interrupting your Highness but you and Princess Euphemia have an urgent call from the Homeland."

"I'll take it later. Can't you see I'm busy?" Cornelia asked irritably.

"It's from the Emperor, You're Highness."

Cornelia and Euphemia along with Guilford and Darlton froze when the aid said it was the Emperor who was calling.

"He commands you to answer immediately." The servant continued.

Cornelia gritted her teeth as she tried to keep her regal look in front of the Vice-Minister and his aids. "Very well, this meeting is over."

Euphemia looked concerned but stood up with her sister and followed her out of the room. No one was looking without concern on their faces and for good reason.

A call from the Emperor with the way things were happening could not be good.

Xxx

Emperor Charles zi Britannia maintained a look of complete and utter indifference as Cornelia and Euphemia stood before the large screen that showed his face staring down on them with dark eyes that probed them for weakness.

"You wish to speak to us, Father." Euphemia stated, hoping that she wasn't giving any of her feelings away.

"I assume," The Emperor began, looking at both of his daughters. "You know why I have decided to contact you."

"It's about recent events in Area Eleven isn't it?" Cornelia asked bluntly, seeing no need to hide anything.

"Yes, but more specifically it's about your recent battles against the terrorists calling themselves the Black Knights and their leader, Zero, the man who killed Clovis. Actually, it's more appropriate if I call them _defeats_ instead."

Both girls inwardly flinched.

"The first battle, Cornelia, you tried to draw Zero out and he effectively turned the tables on you. Tricking you, defeating your Guard, and almost _capturing_ you." The Emperor put a loud emphasis on the word 'capturing'. "Then there was the hostage crisis at Lake Kawaguchi where you allowed Zero to do _your_ job, killing the terrorists but you refused to take action for a certain reason, showing weakness in front of the enemy and allowing them to exploit it."

Cornelia inhaled quickly, trying to keep herself from trembling.

"I hear that Zero claimed that Euphemia worked with him in stopping these terrorists." Charles then turned his eyes on Euphemia. "Is this true?"

"I-I demanded to speak to the leader of the terrorists to try and force him to surrender. He was captured by Zero before I arrived." Euphemia spoke, not missing Cornelia shooting a look at her for speaking up.

"And so Zero used you as a political advantage." Charles mused with a small grin. "Quite the cunning adversary he seems to be. I wonder if he is actually Britannian under that mask as it would explain his recent exploits."

Cornelia clenched her fist in anger. Doesn't he care that his own daughter had been in danger at all? She shouldn't be surprised but it still infuriated her from how callous he was to the safety of his own children.

"And finally, the operation at Narita where you planned to remove the last pocket of resistance in Area Eleven and failed, not only failed but you single headedly showed everyone Zero's strength, his power, his cunning, his will. Allowing yourself to not only be defeated but to be rescued by an Eleven who is currently the main test subject of Schneizal's pet project and even allowing him to capture Euphemia for a short amount of time." Charles looked back to Euphemia. "Tell me, Euphemia, why did Zero see fit to release you and not you kill in cold blood like he did Clovis?"

Cornelia wanted to shout at the man for asking why Zero had not killed his own daughter even though she of all people knew he didn't have the capacity to show any kind of fatherly emotions towards his children.

"I…I was not held captive by Zero. His knights were the ones who forced me to surrender when the green Knightmare threatened to destroy the G-1 and everyone onboard. I agreed to ensure the safety of everyone onboard." Euphemia explained.

"So, you risked your life to save your fellow Britannians?" Charles seemed to smile. "It seems that even though you do not share your sister's love for battle you show great bravery and even survived, a trait I expect from all my children. Tell me, did these knights speak to you while you were in their company?"

"They wanted to know who pilot of the Lancelot was but I guess when they found out on the battlefield they didn't need me anymore. I can only assume that it is because I am Sub-Viceroy that they had no use for me." Euphemia answered slowly.

"You told them nothing?"

"Nothing, Your Majesty." Euphemia shook her head.

"Good, never revealing any knowledge that could be used against the Empire. You've impressed me, Euphemia. Now…" Charles looked at Cornelia, his face becoming expressionless again. "If only I could say the same for you. Three encounters with Zero and each time you failed to defeat the terrorists."

Cornelia had to keep herself showing her gritted teeth while Euphemia look on in concern.

"How is it that you, the Goddess of Victory, the most driven of my children can be so easily defeated by a terrorist masking himself as a freedom fighter?" Charles asked rhetorically. "Perhaps I was too quick to choose you to deal with this minor annoyance."

"I assure you, Your Majesty, I underestimated Zero but I will not make the same mistake." Cornelia glowered.

"No, you won't. I have decided to send someone to…_aid_ you in your attempt to quell the terrorism in Area Eleven. A member of the Knights of Round to provide support against Zero. They will be charged with ensuring that you do not let Zero embarrass the Royal Family again." Charles stated. "After all, we wouldn't want to lose _another_ child of the Royal Family to the same land that took not only Clovis's life but the lives of Marianne's children also."

Cornelia and Euphemia both had to suck in their breath at what the Emperor had said. They both felt like a knife had been stabbed into their hearts and took everything Cornelia had to not shout out to her father with all the anger and hate she could muster while Euphie had to make the effort not cry at the mention at the deaths of her favourite half siblings.

"Let us hope that history does not repeat itself. It would be a great loss to the Empire and your family if you were to suffer their unfortunate fate." The Emperor said before his image faded away, leaving the screen blank.

The moment his face vanished Cornelia let out a frustrated scream and slammed her fist into the ground.

"Sister?" Euphemia rushed over and knelt down next to Cornelia. "Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine…I just need…a moment." Cornelia took a deep breath. "That bastard…He's all but said he doesn't believe I can stop Zero so he's sending someone to _babysit_ me and he went and even rubbed Lady Marianna's death in my face while he was at it!"

"Sister…" Euphemia said sadly.

Things were about to change in Area Eleven and no one knew how it would end.

Xxx

"So the Britannian Viceroy's gone this far already…" A figure noted as he and several old man sat seiza-style around a fireplace as they discussed the latest chain of events

"It would seem she's not at all the simpleton her brother was."

"With the Japan Liberation Front smashed, the last embers of Japan have died away."

"NO! He may be on the run, but Todoh is still strong! Still fighting!"

"Even if that's so. I heard he's lost his custom Burais, so there's no hope."

"There IS hope." A fifth voice corrected, this one decidedly younger than those of the others, who turned to face the speaker, a young girl with bright emerald eyes, as she sat behind a screen, smiling at them.

"The Black Knights?" the fourth voice muttered, sounding both skeptical and disbelieving as he stared at the speaker "You've been infatuated with Zero since he rescued Kururugi Suzaku. We even sent him the Guren Mk-II."

Xxx

Shirley was torn between being confused, jealous, and worried. It had to do with a certain raven haired student who was once again absent, but that was nothing new as he was always skipping class to go out to gamble. The fact that Naruto, Tsunade and Kallen were absent with him was a little strange and she could not help but be worried that maybe…

Were Lelouch and Kallen on a double date with Naruto and Tsunade?

Lelouch and Kallen had been rumored to be kissing once but they both denied it ever happening.

Milly looked from her laptop and looked at the orange haired girl sitting across from her in the Student Council Room. "Okay, what's got you so worried?" She asked, smiling playfully at the younger girl from across the table "Constipated? Your monthlies?" Milly grinned deviously."Or have your monthlies STOPPED?"

"That's not it!" Shirley exclaimed, the orange haired Fennette turning red in the face at the older girl's highly insensitive insinuation

"I know!" Milly noted, smiling knowingly at the embarrassed girl "You're lonely that Lelouch isn't here, right?"

Shirley flinched, looking down at the envelope she'd received from her father that day.

"It's more like…the fact that Kallen's absent the same day he is …again" she admitted, her face a mask of depression.

"Oh so carefree…" the blonde president sighed, leaning back in her desk chair dramatically "Meanwhile the rest of the world is coming to grips with what happened at Narita. Suzaku's been out for two days because of that too."

"But Lelouch and Kallen absent on the same day? That's serious!" Shirley pointed out, a mild frown on her face at the President's laid back attitude.

"I envy you, Shirley. That's what I love about you."Milly giggled.

"Don't make fun of me!" Shirley slammed her note onto the desk, scaring Arthur who had been hiding under a cabinet.

The cat wished his friend; Matatabi was here with him to keep him company instead of these silly humans.

"Oh why don't you come out and say it?" Milly got up from her chair and walked around the table. "Three simple words: I LIKE you!"

"I couldn't!" Shirley exclaimed, the younger girl shaking her head vehemently despite the fierce blush adorning her cheeks, her amber eyes filled with embarrassment, doubt and concern "I mean…What if-?"

"What if he rejects me?" Milly pantomimed, the busty Ashford heir holding her arms and pretending to look saddened as she turned to face the orange haired girl, her face taking on the mask of dramatic depression. "What if it ruins our friendship?"

Shirley blushed as Milly laughed. "You don't have to laugh you know?"

"It's comfortable, this place now, the way we are together." Milly looked out the window.

"That's true." Shirley admitted.

"Still we should prepare ourselves a bit. The fact is nothing stays the same forever you know?" Milly pointed out but chuckled when she saw the downcast looks on Shirley and Nina's faces. "Oh forget it. Please don't take me too seriously. If it's bothering why not ask him the next chance you get?" Milly looked to the door causing Shirley and Nina, who'd been typing away in the corner, looking up as Lelouch walked in, dressed in a red jacket and jeans. "So how do you feel about on your side?"

"L-LULU!" Shirley exclaimed, startled at the sudden arrival of her not-so-secret crush as the violet eyed student walked up to the desk, calm as could be "I thought you were absent!"

"Nunnally had a bit of a fever this morning," Lelouch answered "And Sayoko was busy, so I stayed home to help."

"Oh really, you don't say?" Shirley stammered, the orange haired girl calming herself down as she spoke, looking up at the teen in concern for his younger sister's health, as the entire Student Council thought the world of the little crippled girl."Is Nunna okay?"

"A bit, thanks for your concern." Lelouch assured her, as he scooped some papers up off the desk, turning his gaze towards Milly. "Madame President, your papers?"

"Oh right, make sure you organize them by year and class okay?" Milly noted approvingly, the Ashford heir holding her elbows as she smiled coyly at the elder Lamperouge.

"Yeah, yeah." Lelouch said calmly as he walked to the table and picked up the papers in front of Shirley. "You have a talent for ordering people around."

"And you make a great subordinate." Milly replied.

"Subordinate, I guess that's what I am." Lelouch said as he walked out.

Shirley sighed and looked at Milly. "Madame President, you nearly gave me a heart attack doing that. Huh?"

Shirley realized the envelope with tickets from her father was missing.

"Where are my tickets?" Shirley then realized Lelouch must have accidently taken them. "Huh?!"

Xxx

"LULU!"

Lelouch turned around to see Shirley running after him. "What is it?"

"AH!" Shirley gasped, snatching the envelope out of her crush's hand, her face bright red from embarrassment at her shuffling it into the paperwork without thinking "Is my dad's letter mixed up with that paper work?"

"Hm? Oh sorry," Lelouch assured her, as he gave the letter back but noticed Shirley looking at the ground."What's wrong?"

"Um well…" the girl stammered, looking down at the envelope nervously, anything to avoid looking at the boy she was crushing on."You see, there was this concert I wanted to go to, and Dad managed to get two tickets for me…"

"Really?" Lelouch asked, curiously. "Any idea who you want to take with you?"

"Um well…" Shirley began, the younger girl looking nervously up at Lelouch.

From the window of the apartment C.C. watched with an amused grin. "So, does little Lulu have himself a date? Perhaps he does have a social life after all. Well, it's a good thing I severed my connection to Marianne or she'd probably be bugging me about her little Lulu having a date."

Xxx

A white haired man stood on the roof of the building, looking at Ashford Academy. He wore visors and a headset with an arrogant grin plastered on his face.

'I know you're here, my darling C.C. and soon we will be together again.'

Xxx

"Kyoto praised us for using the Guren Mk-II so well." Ohgi said once all the Black Knights were assembled. "I thought that was encouraging."

"And not to mention how Seizan and Kallen took down Cornelia and that white Knightmare!" Tamaki cheered.

"We didn't capture Cornelia and we didn't destroy it." Kallen pointed out with a frown as she remembered who the pilot was. "We just probably took it out of action for a while. It'll be back."

Zero, or rather Lelouch wasn't paying much attention. 'Why would Shirley ask something like out of the blue?'

Naruto of course senses Lelouch's confusion and knew what it was about since C.C. had told him. 'By Kami is he that dense?'

'**You tell me. This is your area of expertise.**' Kurama snickered.

"Here." Ohgi handed a letter to Zero.

"What's this?" Lelouch took it.

"A love letter." Ohgi answered simply but the smile on his face let everyone know he was joking.

"Oh, from you?" Lelouch asked, feeling a little humorous for some reason.

The joke had its intended affect though as Tamaki laughed his ass off. "And they say you have no sense of humor!"

"You laugh too much." Kallen remarked dryly.

"It's an official letter from Kyoto. They urgently request a meeting." Ohgi said with a smile.

"Is this really such a big deal?" Lelouch said, not seeing the point.

"Um, big deal? It's Kyoto!" Kallen exclaimed.

"If they accept us it's mean funding and support. It could cover our financial crises." Ohgi continued.

"Crises?" Lelouch asked, seeing Ohgi flinch. "There shouldn't be any problem with the budget I laid out."

Ohgi couldn't help but glance at Tamaki, a fact that nobody missed, and soon, all eyes were on him. "Hey! It's not my fault. We're turning into a big organization now that means new expenses you know!"

Kallen smirked. "Like on fancy dinners with the new recruits so you can show off?"

Tamaki exclaimed. "Hey you-"

"I know where you've been taking them," Kallen remarked with a sneaky grin. "Big spender."

"Ugh, you know about it?" Tamaki gaped.

Lelouch sighed, he should have known. What had possessed him to allow that moron to regulate their cash? "We'll put Ohgi in charge of our finances for now."

"Hey now, I'm in charge of our cash!" Tamaki shouted as he stood up. "That's my job!"

"If you want me to trust you then show me results." Lelouch calmly stated.

Tamaki snorted. "Did you actually say trust when you and you buddies never take off those masks? And you even had Princess Euphemia but you let her go, so how can we trust you if you let a Brit Princess go instead of keeping her so we could use to get out country back!"

The tension rose to the point where it could be cut with a knife as Lelouch remained silent along with Naruto and C.C.

"Hold on, that's-" Ohgi started but was cut off.

Kallen jumped up. "Tamaki, their actions speak for themselves. They led us to victory and outwitted Cornelia not once but twice now. That's why they are the leaders of the Black Knights. Do we really need to know more?"

Tamaki glared at her. "Easy for you to say. I noticed you, Zero and his two buddies acting a lot more familiar with each other now. Maybe you already saw their faces; they all to take their masks off sometime. Zero can't sleep with his mask on, now can he?"

Ohgi brought his fist down on the table. "TAMAKI!" He shouted, before calming himself. "That was going too far, do you even realize what you were hinting at?"

Tamaki blinked apparently only now understanding what he had just suggested. "Sorry Kallen, that was over the top. I don't know what came over me."

Kallen gave a short nod, apparently not in the mood to talk to Tamaki right now.

When he saw the mood she was in the man looked at Zero. "I still say that you should let me handle our money, I mean..."

"Now, now, hold on everyone." Naruto stepped out in front of the table. "Zero, while Tamaki did spend some of the money we have for parties we do have good reason to be celebrating as like Kallen said we outwit Cornelia and her forces more than once. Small celebrations are good for morale especially when we've earned it. Even if it was without your permission and could have been spent on helping our resistance movement we still have enough money that it won't hurt our resources. There's no need for fighting over this."

"So you believe Tamaki can handle the budget?" Lelouch asked, wondering what Naruto was thinking.

"Leave him in charge but if you're worried about too much of the budget being spent Ohgi can manage it with him to make sure our finances aren't hurt. There's no need to kick him off his task because of a few parties." Naruto said, trying to ease the situation.

"…All right. Tamaki, you can continue managing the budget but Ohgi will work with you. It's too soon for us to celebrate when we have much work to do." Lelouch relented.

"Uh, thanks man." Tamaki smiled at Naruto who nodded back.

"It's no trouble and the reason we didn't keep Princess Euphemia prisoner is because doing so would have endangered Japan." Naruto answered.

"Huh?" Everyone, except Lelouch and C.C. looked puzzled.

"Let's put it this way, take away the fact that Cornelia and Euphemia are princesses of the Empire what else are they?" Naruto rhetorically asked.

"Huh…I don't know…Woman?" Tamaki asked, scratching his head.

"Sisters." Lelouch answered, catching on. "She and Cornelia are sisters."

"Exactly and it was shown that Cornelia loves her sister dearly as she didn't attack the Kawaguchi hotel because Euphemia was there. If we kept her prisoner Cornelia would have searched the entire country for her and if she believed we had harmed her she would have gone on a rampage across the country and the Japanese would have suffered her wrath and no mercy would be offered." Naruto explained calmly. "If we want to take back this country from Britannia we have to be smart about it and make sure there is still a country to liberate in the end."

Everyone was silent as they took in Naruto's words and Lelouch applauded Naruto for coming up with a good reason to avoid keeping Euphie as a prisoner. Even after all these years there was still a part of Lelouch that still loved Euphie almost as much as Nunnally and had no wish to keep her as a hostage. And it seems Naruto had effectively convinced everyone that going after Euphie was a really, _really,_ bad idea.

"Since Kyoto wishes for a meeting all appointments are cancelled." Lelouch spoke up, getting back to the subject. "We'll shall meet with Kyoto and see what they want."

With that said everyone was dismissed as Lelouch went up to his private quarters, followed by Naruto, C.C., and Kallen a moment later.

"So what are we going to do about Kyoto?" Kallen asked when she closed the door.

"Despite their intentions we need their power if we're going to make a difference." Lelouch answered.

"Even though Kyoto will likely ask us to remove our masks." Naruto pointed out. "When they realize that you're not Japanese it'll shake everyone's trust in you."

"I know but luckily I believe I know who we're going to meet." Lelouch said as looked at his laptop and saw the heads of Kyoto.

"You realize that you'll have to tell them about your Geass? There's no way they won't know as the others will no doubt want to mention it and start questioning you if you don't say anything." C.C. pointed out.

"I am aware of that. Personally I don't like so many knowing of my Geass but considering that everyone in the Black Knights knows they would no doubt believe that Kyoto should know as well." Lelouch answered calmly.

"And what about mine?" Kallen asked, wondering if she should tell the others of her Geass.

"I don't believe that's a good idea." Lelouch answered honestly and he knew that Naruto and C.C. agreed when they didn't say anything.

"Why not?" Kallen questioned, wondering why she shouldn't tell the others of her Geass.

"If they find out you have a Geass then they'll think you've seen Zero's face and believe it was unfair for you to be the only to see his face." C.C. answered. "They'll also become afraid of you because of your Geass's power."

"They would no-" Kallen stopped in mid-protest as she thought it over and grudgingly realized C.C. was right.

If Tamaki got suspicious just from how Kallen seemed more at ease with Zero and his Knights how they would react if she had the same kind of power he had?

"All right, I won't say anything." Kallen reluctantly conceded.

"In the meantime let's get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow." Naruto finished the group meeting.

Xxx

"Mito-san, Lady Nunnally is here for her check up." Sayoko said as she helped wheel Nunnally into the school infirmary.

"Ah," Mito stood up from the nice red couch she had acquired for personal use and smiled as her patient entered the room. "Thank you for coming."

"Sayoko told me you might be able to help restore my ability to walk." Nunnally said with hope shining in her eyes.

"Yes, I've been working on several different ways of healing injuries like yours and possibly restoring mobility." Mito nodded as she prepared a bed for Nunnally. "First I would have probe your injury to get a better idea of how bad it was then we see it if works."

"I hope it does." Nunnally wheeled up to the bed.

"Yes, in the meantime a consultant of mine will be watching in through my laptop if you don't mine. She's a valued college and she has the same knowledge of procedure as me." Mito turned on the laptop and on the screen appeared Rakshata with a smile.

"_Hello Nunnally, I'm Rakshata Chawla. Thank you for agreeing to this, I'm sure the procedure will be a success_."

Xxx

Lloyd was looking at the recording from multiple Sutherlands and Gloucesters that were salvaged from the battle at Narita, determined to see three Knightmares in action. Suzaku and Cecile were behind him, watching the advanced Knightmares affiliated with the Black Knights take down anything in their way but Lloyd was interested in the red Knightmare with the silver claw and glowing sword.

"The red Knightmare is definitely Rakshata's work. The Radiation Wave Surger is a dead giveaway but this sword…" Lloyd froze the image of the red sword releasing a blast of crescent shaped lightning that destroyed any unlucky Frames in its way. "This red beam sword is new. It's not her usual work." Lloyd grinned with a little saliva slipping out of his mouth. "A multi-purpose beam weapon in the shape of a sword, not something I ever considered Rakshata building. The way it is able to contain and condenses energy like that when it uses its long range attack, interesting."

"It's impressive but we should be concentrating on the blue Knightmare." Cecile pointed at black and blue Knightmare defeating the Lancelot. "From the data we received it's possible that this Knightmare uses a new power source that's much greater than Core Luminous."

"Perhaps but the fact that Lancelot put up a better fight than it did in Shinjuku means that it's capable of fighting these Knightmares, once the pilot gains the necessary experience and once we've calibrated the Blaze Luminous. If it has a new power source we'll just have to see if we can replicate it. We've already got a few clues from the readings we got from the Lancelot's data." Lloyd boasted. "And we've got even more good news."

"What's that?" Suzaku asked curiously when he saw the big smile on Lloyd's face.

"In response to the three advanced Knightmares affiliated with the Black Knights Prince Schenizel wants to begin building Knightmares with the Lancelot's quality as well as upgrading Cornelia's forces with the Lancelot's weapons and luckily for us Princess Cornelia agrees. So we've begun building Knightmares from spare and salvaged parts." Lloyd answered. "We've already begun designing the Lancelot Frontier and the Vincent."

"Frontier and Vincent?" Suzaku asked.

"Yes and we'll need you for data gathering." Lloyd nodded. "The first prototype, the Lancelot Club failed because no one could properly operate it due the fact that it was built with a Sutherland Frame as a base. Now the Frontier is a sister unit of the Lancelot while the Vincent is the prototype for less…talented pilots since if it's successful it'll be mass produced. We had to dumb the system down, thus making it less as impressive as the Lancelot."

"And the Frontier?" Suzaku asked.

"It won't be as impressive as the Lancelot but the data we receive from you piloting it will show us what we need to make it easier less gifted pilots." Lloyd answered. "Now get moving! Chop, chop! We have work to do! We still have to completely repair the Lancelot so it can take on those Knightmares and defeat them!"

Cecile sighed but she was just as eager as Lloyd to see the data from the tests.

"Warrant Officer Kururugi, Princess Cornelia wishes to speak to you." An officer called out, earning Suzaku's attention who snapped to attention and complied.

The officer led him to the tent Cornelia was in, currently going over reports of the battle.

"Warrant Officer Kururugi, You're Highness." The officer bowed as he led Suzaku into the tent.

"Thank you. Dismissed." Cornelia said cordially, watching as the officer saluted and left the tent.

"You wish to speak to me, Your Highness?" Suzaku asked, bowing his head.

"I did. Sit." Suzaku did as he was told and waited for Cornelia to continue. "As you know that I ordered you to remain behind. Do you know why I ordered you to stay behind?"

"It's because I am an Honorary Britannian, isn't it?" Suzaku asked respectfully.

"Yes, I ordered you to remain behind because I don't trust Numbers, more specifically Elevens. I listened to you speaking with the pilot of the blue Knightmare, stating your reasons why you joined the Britannian Army." Cornelia paused for a moment. "You believe that you can change the Britannian system from working within it, as you stated on the battlefield, don't you?"

"Yes ma'am." Suzaku nodded.

Personally Cornelia scoffed at his belief as she knew better than anyone that it was impossible for someone to actually change the Britannian system no matter how useful they are. The nobility would never give up their power to treat those they see as lesser beings as if they were not ants to be stepped on. But she didn't voice these thoughts because despite her personal opinion on Suzaku's political beliefs they were not relevant at the moment.

"As much as I hate to admit it you were the only one who managed to fight any of Zero's Knightmares in an equal battle even though you were defeated. That being said I'm ordering our Knightmares to be outfitted with weapons from your Knightmare so that we'll stand a better chance against the Black Knights in the future. I've underestimated Zero more than once and I almost lost my sister, Princess Euphemia this time because of my overconfidence. I cannot escape the idea that I almost lost her because I kept the only pilot behind who had experience facing Zero's top pilots because of my overconfidence that cost me many of my men." Cornelia said, grimacing as she remembered her despair of being left behind while Zero left with her sister. "In the meantime we'll be talking about you and your future."

"My future?" Suzaku asked.

"I allowed Earl Asplund to begin constructing new Knightmare frames because the Lancelot lasted longer against Zero's aces because I realize we need Knightmares to match them in combat and you'll be head of the team that pilots these new Knightmares." Cornelia explained.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Suzaku bowed his head. "I will not let you or Princess Euphemia down."

Xxx

Lelouch watched as the car pulled out in front of him and the window rolled down so the drive could speak. "Please bring your command staff along as per my master's instructions, understood?"

"They're patrolling the perimeter in case of unpleasant contingencies. I'll call them soon." Lelouch answered. "However before I do that…" He slid open the part of his visor covering his face so his left eye was seen, glowing red his as Geass activated.

Xxx

"This is taking too long. When will we get there?" Tamaki grumbled as they sat in the back of the car.

"Ugh, could you chill out, you're embarrassing." Kallen sighed.

It was just Kallen, Tamaki, Ohgi, and Zero as the others stayed behind and for some reason Zero's knights were missing.

The car came to a sudden stop and there was vibration that shook the car.

"What the hell?" Tamaki grunted.

The car was taken up by a large elevator that was seemingly built into the ground.

"We're going up?" Kallen wondered.

The elevator stopped and when the door opened the car wheeled to its destination. A second later the back door was opened.

"Sorry for the inconvenience." The man stated, allowing the Black Knights to exit the car. "The master is waiting for you."

The Black Knights stepped out into the meeting room and needless to say some of them were impressed. The car arrived to the meeting point, only to be taken up by a large built in elevator into a large chamber with a large window overlooking the city from high up in the mountain.

"This is…This is the Fiju-mines!" Ohgi gasped.

"That's not possible! No way we could be here!" Tamaki put his hands on the window.

"It has to be Mount Fuji, there's only one mountain like this!" Kallen pointed out.

"That means the Sakuradite is right below us? The damned treasure that caused this whole war! Do you know what they do to intruders here? Execute them." Tamaki shouted.

"Their power reaches all the way out to here? The Kyoto group is amazing." Ohgi commented.

"It's repulsive." An elderly voice spoke. They turned to see a man in a veiled seat, two guards stationed in front of him as the window was sealed. The man continued. "Mount Fuji, a sacred mountain once known for clear water and quiet beauty. Now it is bent to the Empire's will, a place of hideous violation, of what Japan has become, it pains me so."

Lelouch looked at him with a sense of nostalgia and annoyance.

"I apologize for not showing my face but Zero, your face is hidden as well. Unfortunately I cannot allow this, to trust you I must know who you are. Therefore," The old man pointed his cane at Zero. "You will show me your face."

His words were still ringing in their ears when four Burai rolled out of the shadows and pointed their rifles at the Black Knights.

"Please wait!" Kallen stepped out in front of Lelouch. "Zero has given us power and victory, that should-"

"Silence! Now," Kirihara spoke again. "Which one of you is Ohgi?"

Said man looked up. "That's me."

Behind the veil, Kirihara nodded. "You will remove Zero's mask."

Shocked silence reigned, then Ohgi gulped and slowly turned to Zero. "I'm sorry Zero, but we need reason to believe in you. So help us, to put our trust in you."

Lelouch raised his hand, and Ohgi stopped, looking confused. "Very well Ohgi, I'll grant that wish. Only, not how you may expect."

Then he slowly took a few steps forward until he was standing just before the Frames.

He sighed loudly and shook his head. "Really, is all this necessary? I think you're going a bit overboard. Even you have to admit that you're blowing this out of proportion, Clan Chief Kirihara."

"I don't think so, you are known to be... What did you call me?" The old man choked out.

Lelouch smirked. "Really, I hadn't expected that Taizo Kirihara, spokesperson of the Six Houses of Kyoto was hard of hearing.

That was when the guards pointed their guns at Lelouch. "Anyone who can identify him must die! Especially if he is not Japanese!"

"That's far enough." Lelouch snapped his fingers.

For a second, nothing happened, then, in an instant, two of the Knightmares disarmed the others before pointing the barrel of their oversized rifles at Kirihara. The cockpits opened and revealed two cloaked familiar figures in red and white animal masks, a remote-trigger in her hands.

C.C. grunted as she jumped off her Burai. "These things are barely toys compared to the real Knightmares."

Ohgi was in shock. "Seizan? Shinryoku? What are you doing here? I thought you were both staying behind."

"Sorry, but Zero predicted something like this would happen and we needed you all to be convincing." Naruto answered before flanking Lelouch as he walked up to the seething Kirihara.

"Taizo Kirihara, founder of Kirihara Industries which has a monopoly on Sakuradite mining, formerly a key backer for the Kururugi regime. However when Japan fell you dodged tribunal by collaborating with the colonial rulers. Commonly known as Kirihara the Traitor. In reality you are one of the leaders of the Six Houses of Kyoto support resistance groups throughout Japan. A double agent, how cliché."

"Stop!" The old man shouted.

"It is as you guess though, I am not Japanese!"

The Black Knights sans Kallen, C.C. and Naruto were shocked when they heard what Lelouch had said.

"Are you serious? No wonder he never showed his face." Tamaki whispered.

Kirihara remained composed. "If you are not Japanese, why do you fight for Japan? What is it you want?"

"The destruction of Britannia." Lelouch calmly answered.

"And so you believe that this is possible?" Kirihara asked. "That you can do it?"

Lelouch's face became solemn, not that anyone noticed. "I can because I must. I have reasons which compel me inexorably." He chuckled as he reached for his mask, then taking it off, the dim light assuring that nobody but Kirihara would see it. "I'm glad I'm dealing with you."

When Kallen saw Lelouch take off his mask she discreetly activated her Geass so she could hear them despite the distance, relying on the sensory increase of her Geass.

Kirihara's eyes widened. "You!"

"It's been a long time, Lord Kirihara." Lelouch smiled down at the old man.

"Is it really you? It's been eight long years since that family received you as a hostage." Kirihara flashed back to the day a little boy and his sister came to the Kururugi family.

"Yes and I appreciate you taking care of me back then." Lelouch nodded.

"If I hadn't come tonight were you planning to take the messenger as a hostage?" Kirihara questioned.

"Not at all." Lelouch answered. "I came to ask for your help, that's all I'm seeking from you."

Kirihara began to chuckle, harder and harder until it was full-blown laughter. "So the flower that was planted eight years ago has finally bloomed. This is even better than I hoped."

"I can't see him…" Tamaki whispered.

"Ohgi!" Kirihara shouted.

"Y-Yes!" Ohgi stammered.

"This man is a true mortal enemy of Britannia whose face must remain hidden for vital reasons. I urge you to follow Zero. As long as you follow him, I guarantee you our assistance, financially and otherwise."

Lelouch bowed. "I am grateful."

Kirihara raised the veil and looked him in the eyes. "Are you embarking on the path of blood?"

Lelouch smiled as he replaced his mask. "If that is my destiny. However until then we have much to prepare as much as changed since we last met. I come with information that is vital to Britannia's power, a power that the Emperor himself is in possession of and that I have been exposed to as well."

Kirihara looked confused but nodded as he turned to the guards. "Leave us and contact the other members of the six families."

"My comrades already know of the power I speak of as I have shown it to them. With it the destruction of Britannia is possible but there are others out there who have it as well. The power…of Geass."

Xxx

Kallen had to admit she was actually surprised by the fact that Lelouch was able to gather the heads of the Six Houses of Kyoto here just by revealing his face to Kirihara who apparently knew him. Her Geass allowed her to hear them speak and what she heard was informative but confusing. Lelouch was sent here as a hostage eight years ago? That would have been around the time Britannia invaded Japan.

Why would Lelouch be sent as a hostage?

There wouldn't be any point to him being a hostage as it wasn't likely his presence changed anything when Britannia invaded Japan. She shook her head as Zero addressed the Heads of the Six Houses, explaining his Geass by using it on someone to dance around the table, surprising everyone who wasn't already aware of it but it wasn't the end.

"It has come to my attention while studying my Geass and its origins that I am not the only with this power. Another person who has this power is Charles zi Britannia, Emperor of Britannia itself." Zero announced which caused shouts to be heard as everyone, including the Black Knights were shocked to hear that the Emperor had the same kind of power as Zero. "Using this power Charles has ensured the Empire is completely loyal to him but his Geass is different from mine. His allows him to alter a person's memory and he does not need to make eye contact with his intended target. He uses this power on his subjects to ensure complete loyalty, altering their memories so any thoughts of rebellion are suppressed."

"And he has an entire cult of people with this…power?" One of the Heads asked.

"Yes but the good news is that most of them are children with five to ten of them available for missions. For now the Emperor has no reason to send them here as long as he doesn't suspect no one here is in possession of one. This gives us time to consolidate our forces here in Japan." Zero stated.

"We must start by building an army that can challenge Britannian forces occupying Japan, and then if and when we liberate Japan we will have to work on setting up a proper government and economy while still being strong enough to stop any retaliations when Britannia sends reinforcements to retake the country." Naruto spoke up.

"At the very least it would take a year or so to ensure Japan's liberation unless the one or more members of the Knights of the Round are sent to reinforce Cornelia. We cannot run the risk of capturing or disposing of Cornelia until we are ready." C.C. offered.

"So while we continue to make attacks on Cornelia and interfere with her operations we can slowly build up support but that the same time we build up our forces while maintaining the façade of a group with only three advanced Knightmares and limited amount of Burais until the time is right." Lelouch finished. "We already have access to a Knightmare factory and with the right material we can produce Knightmares but we'll need materials as right now production is slow."

"Very well." Kirihara nodded. "We will provide you with as many parts as possible."

Xxx

"I can't believe we got the full support of the Six Houses of Kyoto." Kallen commented once they were back at the Ashford Factory. "Only the Japan Liberation Front has ever received full support." She looked at Lelouch as he dressed in his school uniform. "Kirihara-dono seemed to know you and he said you came as hostage. What did he mean?"

"That's a story for another time, Kallen. It's not something I want to talk about." Lelouch put the mask away.

"But-"

"Leave it alone, Kallen." Naruto interjected as he sealed his cloak and armor into a scroll. "It's personal and he'll tell you when he's ready."

"Right now we should be focused on getting back before we are missed." C.C. said, twirling her mask in her hands.

"In the meantime we just go about our business and have our guys keep training on those Knightmare simulators. Lelouch, you could use some training yourself." Naruto grinned. "Can't have you being sloppy now can we? Oh wait, out of all of us you aren't blessed with the same bad ass skills we've got."

Lelouch frowned while C.C. snickered. "I can pilot my Burai just fine, Naruto. I can trust you three to handle Cornelia and the Lancelot."

Naruto and C.C. noticed Lelouch was deliberately avoiding mentioning Suzaku but didn't comment on it.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to be late." Lelouch said as he walked to the door.

"Nunnally will be long asleep by now." Naruto pointed out.

"Not that, I have a date." Lelouch said and smirked when he saw the look of surprise on Kallen's face but would have been satisfied if C.C. and Naruto reacted the same way.

"A date?" Kallen asked, not considering Lelouch had an interest in relationships.

"Shirley had two tickets to a concert and invited me." Lelouch replied with a sly smirk. "You thought I didn't have a life outside of Zero?"

"Was almost worried you didn't." Naruto smirked as Lelouch walked towards the door. "To think he actually decided to go. Guess he's not a complete revenged obsessed emo after all." 'Unlike a certain someone.'

Xxx

Back in Naruto's home universe a certain duck haired emo sneezed.

Xxx

Lelouch was just about to close the door when his cell phone rang. He held it up and looked at the caller ID. 'Shirley?' He pressed the answer button. "Shirley?"

The other three watched as Lelouch listened to Shirley, seeing him look calm before looking surprised. Actually surprised was putting it lightly, his eyes went wide and his skin turned pale like when he learned Suzaku was the pilot of the Lancelot.

"What? Is he all right?...Yeah, that's a relief. Yeah, it's okay. I'll be there…Okay…Bye." Lelouch pressed end button and let out a huge sigh.

"What's wrong?" Kallen asked, wondering what Shirley had said.

"Shirley…Her father was injured by the landslide at Narita." Lelouch answered, unable to look at them as he looked down at the ground.

Kallen gasped while C.C. remained calm but Naruto had the decency to look alarmed.

"Is he all right?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, the landfill didn't bury the house he was in that much so they were able to get him out." Lelouch nodded but he still looked upset. "I thought everyone was evacuated and the city was untouched."

"It was. Euphemia evacuated the city and Kallen held back on the Wave Surger enough that the landslide would not hit the city. It's likely Shirley's father was on a house much closer to the mountain." C.C. reasoned, looking calm as always. "Are you surprised? It's not this wasn't to be expected."

"What's not to be expected?" Lelouch glared at C.C. "I almost got one my friend's parents killed!"

"And all the soldiers we killed today and at Saitama were fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles to someone out there. Every time we go out on the battlefield we're taking the lives of people who have loved ones out there." C.C. retorted easily. "Did you not think of that when you started this rebellion? You went and spat in Britannia's face and did so without second thought that your actions might have consequences…You're a lot more innocent then you pretend to be. You're just lucky there are those who help you try and point these potential consequences out."

"It's a sad fact but true. In order to try and stop this madness we have to fight and when we do people on both sides and those caught in between will die all because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time." Naruto offered sadly. "Just be thankful that Shirley didn't lose her father today and be there for her when she needs it."

Kallen nodded with a solemn look on her face. "Yeah…Be there for her."

Lelouch took a deep breath and sighed. "Right…"

Xxx

"Well, there is some good news." Mito removed her hand from Nunnally's back where her injury was. "There is a chance to restore the legs. The damage to your spine is extensive, almost done with surgical precision. Fortunately there is a way…"

"Really?" Nunnally was lying face down on the bed but she looked up when she heard there was a chance she could walk again.

"Basically there is a reconstruct damaged spine and nerve damage but it will be tricky and I'll need consent from your brother. If it's successful you should start feeling your legs a day later before being able to move, albeit slowly." Mito explained.

"_Think of it as inserting an artificial spine into your damaged one that will send messages from your brain and through the feet, allowing for movement._" Rakshata clarified.

"Will it…hurt?" Nunnally hesitantly asked.

"We can keep you under for the operation so you won't feel a thing." Mito said reassuringly.

"….I want to do it." Nunnally declared.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

C.C. sat on the bed of the room she and Naruto shared, looking out the window. The henge covering her eyes had dropped, showing her Rinnegan as she stared out at the city. She looked solemn but let out an irritated sigh when her vision caught a large red light in the distance.

'A Geass and by the looks of it an unstable one. I can sense ill intent in it.' C.C. narrowed her eyes. 'You have to be here now of all times, lurking in the slums of the city as you meddle in my life because of your foolish obsession.'

She recognized the Geass because she knew it and the person using it all too well.

'Of all times for you to show up, this is worst.' C.C. closed her eyes as she covered her Rinnegan again. 'You won't get what you want, especially if Naruto has anything to say about it.' C.C. turned away from the window. "I can't afford to make the same mistake again."

Xxx

"Hey, Naruto? Where's Tsunade? I noticed she never came for class this morning." Milly asked as the Student Council stopped in front of the entrance to the hospital.

"She went to see her mother when she heard that Mito's been making progress on how to cure Refrain." Naruto answered honestly. "It's a touchy subject up here in Area Eleven so she's decided to see if there was a way to cure the effects of the drug rather than wait through a long period of withdrawal."

It was true as Rakshata had discovered that Refrain had been created from the blood cells of someone who's Geass allowed people to relive happy memories and was at work on studying a few blood samples of a few drug addicts to see if there was a way reverse it. Kallen glanced at Naruto when he answered Milly's question, wondering if they could cure her mother but pushed it aside as her mother was in jail for twenty years.

"Oh, well I hope she succeeds." Milly said as they walked through the entrance.

Shirley was anxious to see her father and it had taken everyone to convince that bolting out in the middle of the night to see him was not a good idea as the man needed his rest. Of course Milly suggested they all go visit him and no one could change her mind. Lelouch and Kallen let out a few yawns along the way, having not been able to get a lot of sleep the previous night but when Shirley opened the door to the room her father was staying in the irritation they felt was instantly replaced with guilt as Shirley rushed in shouting at the injured man. "DADDY!"

Said man looked up and smiled as his daughter rushed to the side of his bed and would have hugged him if not for the bandages on his chest, right arm, the cast around his left arm and leg that could mean they were broken.

However that did not dampen the man's happiness at seeing his daughter. "Shirley! What a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you were all right. I was so worried when I heard you had been hurt!" Shirley hugged her father lightly which he happily returned.

"It's all right. I'm fine and I should be out of here in a month." Joseph Fennette answered as he patted his daughter on her back and looked up at the students at the door. "Are these your friends?"

"Hi sir. I'm Milly Ashford, President of the Student Council." Milly walked in, followed by the others. "We decided to come along see how our friend's father was doing."

"Well, thank you. It's nice to have some company around here." Joseph replied as he looked at each student. "Staring at the white walls all the time gets a little boring."

"If you don't me asking what happened to you?" Rivalz asked and ended up getting slapped on the head by Milly.

"Rivalz, we're not here to talk about that!" Milly hissed.

"It's all right, Miss Ashford. I was simply in a house on the outskirts of the city at the base of the mountain when the landslide hit. The house collapsed on me and a few friends but luckily the military came and dug us out. They were evacuating the city at the time and we were the last ones who didn't get the memo until it fell on top of us." Joseph explained with a smile. "None of us were killed, just a little hurt. It's a good thing the house wasn't buried too deeply."

Kallen and Lelouch both looked guilty while Naruto hid behind his usual fox smile. Lelouch felt guilty for coming up with the idea of using a land slide as a weapon against Cornelia while Kallen felt guilty because she caused the land slide.

"Cowards." Everyone looked at Suzaku who had a grim look on his face. "They're all just cowards. The Black Knights just do what they feel like and don't care who gets caught up in the attacks."

As he spoke he flashed back to what the pilot of the blue Knightmare had called him.

"_Yes, a coward! One who refuses to see the truth and ignores just how rotten your masters are and allow them to kill and oppress people, your own kin no less, to satisfy their so-called superiority and hope that if you bow your head and submit to that them that they'll actually get off their fat asses decide to start being nice. Let me make this warning perfectly clear, you will not be able to change Britannia no matter how many times you kiss their collective asses, it'll be the same each and every day until you die or realize the utter foolishness of your beliefs! The Japanese along with the rest of the Areas will never accept their rights, pride, and home being taken from them!_"

'And is this not cowardice? How can you call me that when you and Zero don't care who gets in your way?' Suzaku thought angrily.

'Show some respect you moron. This is her father right here and you're going to complain about that right in front of him and his daughter? This is about them not your sense of moral outrage.' Naruto scowled while Kallen and Lelouch shrank back.

"Oh yeah, I want to apologize, Mr. Fennette for thinking the Black Knights were cool and stuff. When they first appeared a lot of us thought they were all amazing for always beating the army even when it looked impossible. It was stupid and I'm sorry." Rivalz spoke with a remorseful look on his face.

"It's all right, everyone. I know that the Black Knights caused the avalanche but I also know they didn't do it to kill me or kill anyone else in the city. They had no way of knowing where I was at the time and I didn't know until everyone else had been evacuated." Joseph reassured everyone as he shook his head. "I don't blame them for this even though they caused the land slide."

"They're risking the lives of innocents by fighting!" Suzaku exclaimed.

"And the military risks lives everyday regardless of whether or not they try to evacuate civilians first. I'm a researcher but I'm well aware of how the military operates." Joseph calmly replied. "A lot of people have been killed by the military simply because they were in the wrong place like I was from time to time. The Black Knights are fighting for what they believe in, they are not out to kill everyone in their way."

Suzaku suddenly remembered the words of the pilot of the blue Knightmare back at Narita.

_"You say the Japanese should roll over and accept whatever brutality Britannia dishes out on them? Endure all the pain of being their lapdogs and slaves and just hoping for things to get better. Don't make me laugh. That's a load of bull shit. The Japanese may have lost the war but that did not dampen the determination to free their country or the hate they feel towards Britannia for its crimes and it never will as long as people still dream of a free Japan and as long as Britannia continues its racial beliefs."_

"They fight because they believe it's only path they can take because Britannia has taken their homes, their rights, and all things we take for granted taken from them. As much we say otherwise non-Britannians are treated somewhat poorly in all Areas and even Honorary Britannians live a hard life despite attaining rights to live in the settlement." Joseph sadly continued.

"Why are you defending them? They did this to you." Suzaku pointed at the bandages and casts. "If they really cared about helping people they'd-"

"Suzaku, that's enough!" Naruto stated loudly, making everyone look at him in shock for the way he was speaking as he glared at the Honorary Britannian. "We're here to see Mr. Fenette and be happy he's all right, not argue over the morality of the Black Knights. This is about Shirley and her dad being happy that he's still alive, not your political views on the Black Knights or your sense of moral outrage. So stop arguing with the injured man and just say 'hi, nice to meet you and hope you get better'!"

Suzaku looked surprised by the scolding he received but had the decency to look ashamed as he knew Naruto was right. "Your right, I'm sorry. I…I just got carried away."

"It's all right, young man. I know you feel angry with the Black Knights and you have every right to be but I just wanted you to know they didn't hurt me intentionally and they don't fight to intentionally hurt every Britannian out there." Joseph nodded with a smile. "And one reason I don't condemn the Black Knights because…" He reached up and patted Shirley on her head which embarrassed her. "They helped save my daughter and I can never forget that."

"Daddy!" Shirley whined from the display of affection in front of her friends.

Suzaku had to keep himself from saying that the military could have saved them but Naruto was right, this wasn't about his views on the Black Knights. He tried to keep a smile on his face along with everyone before the nurse came and kicked them out of the room, saying Mr. Fennette needed his rest. In the meantime Lelouch along with Naruto and Kallen had a busy night to prepare for so they had to get themselves ready. Once they said their goodbyes Lelouch and Naruto headed back to Ashford Academy along with the rest of the Student Council while Kallen walked in the direction of her house.

As Kallen took a path through one of the Ghettos that wouldn't draw attention to her a man who had been hiding out perked up and looked in her direction, smiling first before suddenly becoming very angry.

_A green haired girl smirking mischievously as she wrapped her arms around a blond haired boy with whisker markings on his face and kissed him passionately._

"You…You bastard! You dare take my C.C.!" The man shouted as he stood up. "SHE'S MINE! MINE! MINE!"

Xxx

When the Student Council left Joseph Fennette frowned deeply for some reason and picked up his cell phone and brought up a picture.

A picture of a blond haired boy suspended in a green tank along with the green haired girl that had already been there.

'General Bartley needs to be notified.'

Xxx

Villetta Nu was not having a good day.

Actually that was a bit of an understatement as she took a sip in a bar she came to while off duty but she was still in her uniform. Her old friend Lord Jeremiah was presumed killed in action at Narita by the red Knightmare that had wiped out the other purists, dispatching them all so easily and done so looking like a red demon surrounded by the flames of Hell itself.

'Zero…' Villetta narrowed her eyes as she stared at the picture of the Britannian student, standing with the two Knightmares.

The way he stood with the Knightmares by his side, she could almost literally see him in Zero's mask and clothes, staring her down with his two bodyguards ready to take down anyone on his command.

'What is his connection to Zero though?' Villetta wondered.

According to Diethard the boy's name was Lelouch Lamperouge, a student of Ashford Academy and was one of three students who were in Shinjuku around the time of Prince Clovis's death. The other two was Rivalz Cardemonde who had been removed from the ghetto by police and the other was Suzaku Kururugi who had been cleared of all charges. She took out another picture and spotted this student with two more students on school grounds, the picture taken by school cameras that had been sent to her by a contact.

Then there was the father of a girl who attends the same school who had been caught in the landslide. She first thought of using the girl to get more information but when she saw the girl unwilling to leave her father's side she decided against it. All that she had was a hunch that this boy and his two friends had a connection with Zero.

'If this boy is connected to Zero do these two students who hang out with him have anything to do with him as well?' Villetta wondered. 'I need to find out. If they suspect anything about him I can use it and find out if he can manipulate memories somehow. I won't have to die stripped of my position and honor like Jeremiah. Hell, this is my chance to move back up again, so I have to find a link to Zero. It has to be me.'

She was in her car, driving towards Ashford Academy with the intent to find out if these students had the connection she needed to find and arrest Zero but that was when something unexpected happened. A stranger in a white outfit stepped out onto the road, forcing Villetta to slam on her brakes before she ran him over.

"Hey!" She rolled her window down and shouted at the man. "What's wrong with you?! Do you have a death wish?!"

"Oh me? Oh no, I wasn't trying to kill myself. I knew you would stop in time as you noticed me from a safe distance." The man said as he clapped his hands for no reason and smiled. "But I happened to overhear you looking for a few people and one of them happened to be a girl with long green hair and yellow eyes?"

Xxx

Sir Guilford sighed as he walked to Princess Cornelia's office to deliver his latest report. Princess Cornelia and Euphemia had been under pressure to capture the Black Knights and Zero since their talk with the Emperor and knew that the Emperor was not pleased with their lack of progress. With that in mind Guilford carefully knocked on the door to the office Cornelia shared with Euphemia.

"Who is it?" Cornelia called out.

"It's me, Your Highness." Guilford answered. "I have urgent news."

"Enter."

He opened the door and saw Princess Cornelia and her sister at their desk doing their paper work.

"Ah, Guilford, you have news for me?" Cornelia asked with a small smile.

"Our Intel has reported the last remnants of the JLF are attempting to flee Area Eleven to the Chinese Federation." Guilford reported.

"Ah, the cowards realize how outnumbered they are and are trying to flee. They think they can ask the Chinese Federation for help." Cornelia remarked with amusement.

"Yes Your Highness. There is also something else you should know. The envoy the Emperor sent to assist us." Guilford said, sounding slightly hesitant.

"Yes?" Cornelia frowned, wondering who was sent to _assist_ her.

"She's-" Guilford started but was cut off by a female voice outside of the office.

"Oh Nelly! Where are you?"

Cornelia paled upon hearing the voice while Euphemia could only chuckle at the look on her sister's face.

"Guilford, is that-"

The door opened and the person stepped in. "There you are Nelly! And Euphie, look how pretty you've become!"

'Of all the Knight he could choose to send he had to choose _her_.' It was times like these that Cornelia hated the Emperor even more than usual.

Xxx

Kallen spotted Lelouch and Naruto walking away from the clubhouse after another day of school and when no one was looking followed after them. As she walked after them into the woods she picked up on their conversation.

"So is Shirley okay?" Naruto asked curiously.

"She's taken a week off to be with her father but she seems to be holding up fine." Lelouch answered, still relieved he hadn't gotten Shirley's father killed. "What about you? Where's C.C.?"

"She left a while ago and she's blocking me from seeing through her eyes to keep me from knowing and she refuses to speak to me. She must be relying on her senses to go wherever it is she's going." Naruto answered solemnly. "I know she can take of herself but leaving out of the blue like that is odd, even for her. I trust her though, it must personal to her and she knows how to look after herself. If she runs into trouble I'll know instantly."

"It's an inconvenience though, with this request from Kyoto we'll need all the manpower we can get." Lelouch sighed.

"So it's true then, the JLF's leader and what's left of them is going into exile." Naruto commented.

Kallen's eyes widened slightly. 'What?'

"You can come out now, Kallen." Naruto called out. "We're far enough now."

Kallen gasped slightly and realized she forgot to let them know she was following them but quickly came out from behind a tree.

"How are you holding up? What happened to Shirley's dad must have shaken you up too." Naruto commented as Kallen walked up to the two.

"It did but I'm glad he's okay and that he didn't condemn us." Kallen looked at the ground as she answered. "Thanks for stopping Suzaku in there. I wasn't comfortable listening to him argue about us with Shirley's dad."

"No problem. He really had no right ranting about them in front of Shirley and her father like that no matter how he felt. And you argued with me that using full blast was the better option." Naruto looked at Lelouch who had the decency to look ashamed.

"All right, you proved your point, Naruto." Lelouch looked down. "It's easier to use large attacks like that land slide and not stick around to see if it has any consequences of what happens to the people left behind."

"At least you now understand but all you can do regardless of what happens is continue on because if you hesitate all those lives will be in vain." Naruto continued, remembering his own experience in wars. "Now then, we have a present matter."

"I was wondering if you would get to that." Lelouch commented, holding a paper in his hands. "And yes, it's true. The last remnants of the JLF are fleeing Japan with barrels of liquid Sakuradite and they are trying to flee to the Chinese Federation."

"Well, except for the Holy Swords and Kyoshiro Todoh." Naruto offered. "And no doubt Cornelia will attempt to take it out. The fight at Narita has left them with nothing but what they could take with them in the aftermath and Cornelia will already know that. This will be her chance to wipe out what's left of them for good this time."

"So what do we do? We can't let Cornelia destroy them." Kallen asked, eager to save her fellow Japanese.

"Perhaps but if we let them leave they'll make any kind of deals with the Chinese Federation for help but even if the Chinese help they'll just see it as a chance to gain access to Japan's Sakuradite supply if they help expel Britannia. Japan would simply trade one master for another." Lelouch pointed out, his mind coming up with multiple scenarios. "We could use the JLF as a distraction to attack Cornelia when she's not expecting it, allowing the JLF to slip away but the moment they escape Cornelia will turn her sights on us. And if we try to save them we'll be risking the Black Knights in what will turn quickly into a war zone like Narita."

"But at the same time we can't ignore a request from Kyoto now that they're backing the Black Knights or we'll lose their back. At the very least we can give the JLF a fighting chance." Naruto offered, having thought up a plan to help the JLF after thinking it over.

"How?" Kallen asked.

"Cornelia won't do anything yet until the ship is ready to take off because of the Sakuradite onboard, right? If she attacks while the ship is still in the harbour and Sakuradite blows up it would take out the JLF along with anyone nearby in the harbor. So they'll use Portman-Frames that will only be armed with Slash Harkens to avoid igniting the Sakuradite while Cornelia will stay on the pier with her Royal Guard but she'll only rely the kind of ammunition that's too weak against a Knightmare's armor and if the Lancelot is there it'll only use its MVS swords and Slash Harkens. Even if they expect the Black Knights to show up they'll wait and hide, keeping their Knightmares deactivated until nightfall when the ship tries to leave." Naruto explained as he took the paper Lelouch had in his hands and looked over the contents. "If they expect the JLF to be weaponless we can use that to our advantage. The ship is large enough to carry a few Burais by the looks of it."

"You suggest we send them Burais?" Lelouch asked, wondering what Naruto was planning.

He was considering just getting rid of the JLF because they were a nuisance at best and a group that didn't see the big picture of Japan's future if it was successfully liberated at worst. However he knew Naruto and Kallen would object so he decided to see what plan Naruto or C.C. would come up with.

"Sounds like you're just using the JLF as bait for a shot at Cornelia." Kallen scowled.

"We're just brainstorming here, Kallen because we need a good plan if we want to save the JLF, take out Cornelia, and come out alive. We can't fight Cornelia and protect the JLF at the same time, especially with the Sakuradite onboard. If a random shot hits the ship the chances of the Sakuradite igniting are really high and if it's still close to the harbor everyone would be blown up with it. And if C.C. isn't back by then it'll just be Seizan and I will be limited as I can't fight at full strength without causing a lot of destruction with the low amount of space and with the underground pipes and drains I can't go underground without breaking them causing a potential flood." Naruto reasoned. "When the JLF escapes there'll be nothing distracting enemy from fighting us head on and we'll attract a lot more trouble when the Britannians scramble to rescue Cornelia. With what happened at Saitama and Narita they'll be paranoid of us trying to capture the Viceroy again so we can expect a lot of resistance. But if we give some Burais to the JLF with long range assault rifles and rocket launchers and the moment they find out that Cornelia's after them they might join the fight for a chance to get back at Cornelia for Narita." Naruto continued with a thoughtful look on his face. "We have a weapons factory now and I got someone to call on for all the ammo we need to give the JLF a fighting chance."

It would only be a matter reverse summoning himself to Rakshata's base back in India, pick up as many weapons as he can and then have C.C. or a Shadow Clone he leaves back in Japan to summon him back.

Kallen seemingly caught on. "And when they find out Cornelia's about to attack they'll fight back if they think they have a chance."

"Catch them in a pincer movement and keep Cornelia's forces bogged down while we move in take her out." Lelouch caught on, seeing the benefit in this plan. "And since the JLF will be on a ship with liquid Sakuradite Cornelia's forces won't risk attacking it until it's out of range, making them effectively untouchable. Ironically the target that they consider unarmed and weak will become the most dangerous threat to them, even more than the Black Knights."

It would save them the trouble of having protect the JLF and allow them to concentrate on capturing Cornelia. Only her Royal Guard would be with her and if they moved fast they could be in, get Cornelia, and get out before reinforcements arrived.

"With the JLF in front and us behind Cornelia will be trapped even if the Lancelot is with her." Kallen smiled.

"Exactly." Naruto nodded and looked at Lelouch. "So what do you think?"

"It's a good plan with the element of surprise. Cornelia won't expect us to actually share anything with the JLF as officially the Black Knights are not allied with them. It'll give us good PR amongst the Japanese and erase any lingering doubts Kyoto might have about us." Lelouch nodded, deciding that Naruto's plan was the best plan to go with. "What about C.C.? Will she be back?"

"Not sure but if she isn't we'll have to go without her. I know she wouldn't just take off unless she had a good reason." Naruto answered.

"The Guren and Seizan should be enough to handle Cornelia and…Suzaku." Kallen said was slightly hesitant saying the name of the Lancelot's pilot.

Lelouch inwardly flinched. "Yes…He's not here and I was hoping we could have done something to keep him from participating. I could have put something in his food to make him sick but he hasn't been at school since Narita."

"It can't be helped, Lelouch. Suzaku chose his side and we can't convince him to join us…unless you use your Geass on him." Naruto said, feeling slight sympathy for Lelouch as he knew better than most people of the feeling of fighting your best friend.

"No." Lelouch glared at Naruto. "I won't force Suzaku to join me against his will. I didn't use it to recruit anyone onto the Black Knights and I won't use it on…my friend."

Kallen watched the exchange and remembered Kirihara saying Lelouch and Nunnally were sent to the Kururugi family as hostages. That could explain how Lelouch and Suzaku know each other and why Lelouch is taking Suzaku's status of being the Lancelot's pilot so hard. Kallen herself had mixed feelings on that subject, seeing Suzaku as a nice guy even if he was an Honorary Britannian but couldn't help but be angry that he was fighting against his own people for some crazy idea of changing the Britannian system from within.

"Then are you prepared to fight him? He'll try to kill you." Naruto pointed out.

"No, he'll try to capture me. He doesn't believe in killing, even on the battlefield. He hasn't changed in that regard." Lelouch turned around and looked up to the sky. "I just wish I knew what made him become like that."

Kallen and Naruto shared a look; both were a little worried, even Kallen who had seemingly grown use to Lelouch as Zero even if she didn't get the full story.

"Then you better be ready tonight, Lelouch. You can't afford to let your personal feelings distract in front of your men." Naruto said, remembering his own experience from trying to save Sasuke. "You are friends here but tonight…"

"Yes, I am Zero and he's an Honorary Britannian who will attempt to capture Zero." Lelouch closed his eyes as he turned around and nodded. "I won't forget."

Xxx

Suzaku glanced at the new Knightmare that stood in the hangar next to the Lancelot that was still being repaired and instantly noticed how similar they looked.

"Wonderful, isn't it?"

Suzaku turned around to see Lloyd and Cecile walking up next to him to look at the white and blue Knightmare. It had the same height as the Lancelot but was colored white and blue while the Lancelot was white and gold. Its Landspinners were folded into the back of the legs and like the Lancelot it had the same forearm mounted Slash Harken/Blaze Luminous combo with Factspheres on both shoulders. It's 'face' was blue and gray with a blue pointed crown on its head.

Like the Lancelot it was armed with two MVS swords, an assault rifle, and a VARIS rifle was being built for it to use but not on the mission for tonight. It was impressive looking and even if it did not have all of the Lancelot's capabilities it would still be great help against the Black Knights.

"The Lancelot Club, our first attempt at mass producing Seven Generation Knightmare Frames. It failed because none of the pilots were able to handle its peaky adjustments." Lloyd remarked with his usual smile. "But it seems someone managed to find a pilot who can handle it."

"Who?" Suzaku asked curiously.

"I think it would be…him." Lloyd pointed at the door.

Suzaku looked and saw Cornelia walking in with Euphemia, Guilford, Darlton and two more people he didn't recognize. One was a grinning woman with pale green hair, bordering on blond, wearing a white uniform with a purple cape with a gun holster strapped to her thigh. The other was a boy around Suzaku's age with silver hair, blue eyes, and had the same physic as Lelouch but more athletic looking and wore the same uniform as Suzaku.

"Well, well, we've been blessed to be in a presence of one of the Knights of the Round." Lloyd commented.

"A Knight of the Round?" Suzaku asked, surprise evident in his voice as he knew the Knights of the Rounds were elite pilots that answered only to the Emperor himself.

"Lady Nonnette Enneagram." Cecile whispered.

"Well, Nelly," The woman stated with a cheerful smile and seemingly ignoring the annoyed look on Cornelia's face and the flabbergasted look on Suzaku's face. "I got here just in time for them to offload my little Rai's Knightmare. Doesn't it look fabulous?"

"Nonnette, we didn't come here to look at your apprentice's Knightmare." Cornelia said in irritation. "We have an important mission tonight."

"Oh, Nelly you must learn to stop being such a prude. My little Rai will have the Lancelot Club ready for tonight. You really need to learn how to relax and take a break once in a while." Nonnette playfully chided at Cornelia who could only look away with a resigned look on her face. "You'll never get a boyfriend with that bossy attitude."

"So," Lloyd came and looked at the boy named Rai. "Are you the one who managed to work my Lancelot Club?"

Rai took a step back. "Y-Yes sir."

"Excellent. I hope to get some interesting data tonight." Lloyd chuckled happily before Cecile pulled him back by the ear. "Ouch! Owie!"

"Honestly Lloyd." Cecile sighed in irritation.

Suzaku looked at Rai who stood next to Nonnette, looking out of place for some reason.

Nonnette seemingly noticed this. "Oh are you curious about my little Rai?" She looped an arm around Rai and pulled him close, chuckling at the yelp from the boy. "Don't mind him, he's just a little shy but acts like my cute little puppy."

Rai stuttered and blushed from what he was being called and looked away, unable to look anyone in the eye.

"Now, what's this about a mission?" Nonnette asked, looking at Cornelia with an eager grin.

Xxx

C.C. walked through Ashford Academy's park wearing her white and blue summer dress and white hat to cover the top of her head and the top of her face. The walks through the park usually relaxed her but she was here for one reason and one reason only.

'Mao, you cannot have me just as you will not harm Naruto. Whatever life you envisioned for us can never come to pass.' C.C. thought as she noticed the red light for some reason moving away from the school. 'Hm? Why is he moving away? Did he pick up something from someone who might know where I am?'

C.C. frowned as she realized Mao was not moving back into the Ghetto and she couldn't take him out in the public even with her powers.

'Why is he moving away all of a sudden?' C.C. wondered.

Xxx

"Wait a second, Zero. I realize this is a request from Kyoto. I think we can definitely handle it and I'm pretty sure the Japan Liberation Front would rather join us then flee to foreign soil and all but…" Ohgi trailed off.

"You're the one who brought us this information…" Zero turned to the man who had two guards keeping their rifles trained on in case he tried anything. "Diethard was it?"

"That's right." Diethard Reid answered calmly despite the guns pointed at him. "It's an honor that you would meet me like this, Zero."

"So Cornelia is going to deploy the Royal Marines on General Katase of the Japan Liberation Front. Is that correct?" Lelouch questioned, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, the network is already poised to broadcast a special report on it." Diethard answered.

"Lieutenant Colonel Todoh will never make it to General Katase in time. Which means the Japan Liberation Front has no military strength right now." Lelouch looked across the assembled Black Knights. "Their only chance of escape is the liquid Sakuradite they are carrying."

"Which is why we should help General Katase escape instead of going after Cornelia." Ohgi pointed out.

"Don't worry, Ohgi." Naruto stepped out of the shadows. "We've already made plans to help the general. We are not going to abandon him like that."

"I've taken the liberty of sending Katase several Burais armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers. When the JLF attempts to leave that is when Cornelia will launch her assault. The JLF will respond by launching their counterattack and when it happens Cornelia will be caught off guard as she believes they won't have anything aside from a few guns. When the attack begins the Black Knights will attack from behind, catching Cornelia in a pincer movement and keeping her forces bogged down." Lelouch explained. "With us attacking Cornelia the JLF will have the time they need to slip out into international waters."

"After all, Ohgi, who are we?" Naruto rhetorically asked with a teasing voice.

"Well, we're the Black Knights, Zero." Ohgi hesitantly answered.

"Then we have but one task: we will destroy Cornelia's troops and in doing so rescue the remains of the JLF." Lelouch stood up. "Tonight, we once again show Britannia that we will not tolerate one-sided massacres!"

"What are our chances?" Ohgi asked.

"Need you ask?" Lelouch smirked.

Ohgi smiled. "Understood."

Diethard made a note of how easy it was for Zero to inspire his troops.

"Being preparations, you all have your orders to carry out." Lelouch turned and started walking away.

"Uh, Zero!" Kallen called out.

"I have something to attend to," Lelouch looked back at Kallen. "Whatever it is, save it for later."

Kallen could only watch as Zero and Seizan vanished into the shadows.

Xxx

Suzaku and Rai stood with full attention as Darlton debriefed them. "Just so you know, the Viceroy has her reservation about using Numbers. But use every able body I always say, even if it's the son of the former Prime Minister."

Suzaku flinched but remained calm. He would have had the Lancelot with him but it was still being repaired so he was piloting a standard Sutherland instead. He was still upset for losing at Narita and wanted to hunt down the blue Knightmare for stopping him from rescuing Euphie who at the moment was under house arrest by Cornelia as she led tonight's operation.

"Our target is Katase, take him out and the Japan Liberation Front is finished. We're sending in the Royal Marines." Darlton looked at both pilots. "Your jobs are to provide supporting fire from the shore until the Marines have Katase as well as annihilating any stragglers left over."

Suzaku's eyes widened. "I'm to annihilate them, sir?"

Darlton nodded, not surprised by the boy's reaction. "Nobody but the target is to survive is that clear." Upon seeing Suzaku's shocked look Darlton turned around. "Warrant Officer Kururugi show your loyalty to the Crown. This is your chance to get ahead in the world, soldier."

As Darlton walked away Suzaku whispered. "Understood sir."

"Onward Christian soldiers," Lloyd walked up to the boys. "Conflicting morals right?"

Rai looked away while Suzaku clenched the fist holding his key.

Xxx

Someone dressed a delivery boy came up to the ship with a truck that a large container attached to it. The Japanese soldiers pointed their guns at him but when the man lifted his cap they saw his left eye flashing red.

Xxx

"You originally planned to destroy the JLF didn't you?" Naruto asked as Lelouch changed out of his delivery boy disguise.

"Hm? You figured me out?" Lelouch asked, not bothering to react to the accusation. "I considered it because the JLF only wants to make Japan the way it was before the invasion and they had no qualms killing anyone who got in the way, Britannian or Japanese. At their core they are just as racists as the Britannians are and would hinder Japan's rebirth to try revive the old government that wasn't really effective to begin with. I went over it in my head and came up with several different scenarios on how it would have gone and there are too many possible outcomes."

"True but if you had gone through with it and someone figured you out you would be in a lot of trouble." Naruto pointed out with a frown. "You're concerned about removing obstacles and making the Black Knights the strongest group in Japan. And if the JLF is gone you could get Kyoshiro Todoh on your side."

"I did consider it, he'd be a great help to us and he'd inspire more Japanese to rise up with us." Lelouch nodded, impressed by Naruto's deductive skills. "But at the very least I was willing to hear out your plan, Naruto and I have to say it works better because it allows for a greater chance of capturing Cornelia. I won't pretend to be a saint around you, C.C., or even Kallen as this is war and more than once people end up caught in it even if they had no interest in fight for either side. Even if people see us as cowards, we have to prevail, if that means more blood will be shed so be it. We've spilled so much to get here, we can't let it be in vain. I won't try to force you, Naruto or C.C. or Kallen to help me, if you wish to turn back…"

"I made my choice before we met, Lelouch. And what about you, Kallen?" Naruto looked over his shoulder.

Kallen stepped out from the door and looked at both of them as they glanced at her. "…I made my choice as well."

Lelouch smiled. "I'm grateful for that, both of you."

"Just one thing…" Kallen walked up to Lelouch.

"Hm?" Lelouch looked confused.

Kallen raised her hand…smacked Lelouch across the face which made him step back.

"What was that for?" Lelouch put a hand to his red cheek.

"For considering sacrificing what's left the Japan Liberation Front. Even if what you say is true they are Japanese and you're fighting to save them." Kallen huffed as she stepped back.

Naruto snickered. "Ouch."

Lelouch grunted and rubbed his cheek. "You knew she would do that and you had me talk when she was hiding so she'd hear me."

"What? Me? Would I do such a thing?" Naruto chuckled. "Am I that devious?"

"Yes." Kallen reached and whacked the back of Naruto's head with her fist.

"Hey!" Naruto protested, clutching his head. "What did I do?"

"Being a devious bastard." Kallen simply said.

Lelouch smirked. "At least all I got was the slap."

"Oh ha, ha." Naruto grumbled, while wondering why he kept on getting hit by violent red heads. "For a cold faced emo you sure like to smile when someone other than you gets whacked."

"And for someone who wants to bring peace you sure like to pester everyone around, fox-boy." Lelouch retorted.

"Oh did you not just go there-OW!"

Kallen shut both of them up by bonking them on their heads. "Will you two knock it off, already? We need to get a move on…By the way, where's C.C.?"

"Haven't heard from her yet but I know she's nearby. I think she's trying avoid coming here for some reason. We might just have to start without her." Naruto answered, getting serious.

"It's all right; we can make do without her." Lelouch said as he put his mask on. "We can't afford to wait for her. Did you set the bomb where I wanted?"

"Yep. It's all ready." Naruto nodded.

"All right, let's get started."

Xxx

"It's time." Darlton spoke.

The Royal Marines were all lined up while Suzaku's Sutherland and the Lancelot Club stood waiting with several Sutherlands.

"Commence with the operation." Cornelia commanded.

"_All units, in the water! Dive! Dive!_" The Portman Frames begin diving underwater.

Suzaku and Rai moved with the Sutherlands as they went to their positions. It went as expected as the Portman Frames surrounded the ship while the Knightmares on the land attacked from distance with their rifles. The Portman Frames launched their Harkens and started climbing up the ship.

"This isn't a battle, it's a slaughter." Suzaku muttered as he sniped another soldier.

"_Officer Kururugi._" Cecile appeared on the monitor.

"Go ahead." Suzaku answered.

"_I certainly know this must be hard for you but you are a soldier, remember that._" Cecile offered her advice.

Xxx

"They've launched their attack already!" Katase banged his fist on his desk. "Hurry up and deploy the Burais!"

They had received confirmation from Kyoto that was sending Burais and ammunition as well as the chance that Cornelia would attack them. According to them Todoh set up the plan to lure them out so the JLF could take them by surprise, using the Sakuradite as a shield as Cornelia wouldn't risk destroying the ship and with the Burais that Kyoto had sent fending her off long enough for them to make it into international waters they all jumped at the chance for revenge on Cornelia for their losses .

It was only half the truth but Lelouch needed them to trust his plan.

Xxx

Suzaku spotted the ship's main cargo hold opening up. "There's something happening on the ship. It's-"

Suzaku's eyes widened as four Burais stood up from the cargo hold with rifles pointed at the land-based Knightmares with men holding rocket launchers. And behind them were containers, all of them no doubt filled with liquid Sakuradite.

"It's a trap!" Suzaku shouted.

Xxx

"Die Britannian scum!"

With that said half the soldiers with the rocket launchers aimed and fired on the Port-Frames, taking them out with one shot while the Burais and the other soldiers armed with rocket launchers aimed at the shore and fired.

Xxx

"I can't believe it! They have Knightmares with them?!" Cornelia was furious as the JLF attacked, taking out several Sutherlands easily. "Our Intel said they didn't have any weapons!"

However Cornelia instantly realized that the JLF couldn't have gotten weapons that fast, unless they had help.

'Zero.' That one word shot to the top of Cornelia's mind and she then knew that they had lured into a trap. 'He's here and he's about to make his move!'

Xxx

"The JLF are keeping the Britannians bogged down! All forces move in and rush them from behind!" Lelouch speed boat he, Kallen, and Naruto were on rushed to the mainland. "Take them out quick and show them our determination!"

"Right." Kallen answered.

"Here we go." Naruto grinned.

"And now then," Lelouch held up the detonator.

As the Sutherlands along with the two seven Generation Knightmares tried to reorganize themselves Lelouch pushed the button. The bomb that Naruto had placed near where the Knightmares had gathered went off and exploded, sending water flying up and preventing them from seeing the boat.

"What the-" Suzaku gasped as he and the others were blind for a second.

When the water fell back down a giant speed boat came into his vision as it flew through the air and slammed into several Sutherlands before they could react.

"LOOK OUT!" Suzaku shouted as he and Rai quickly moved out of the way.

With the JLF continuing their attack any Sutherlands that weren't fast enough move were instantly taken out. Before they could do anything Suzaku and Rai came under attack by incoming fire from the Burais on the JLF boat, suffering some damage, even the Lancelot Club before it activated its Blaze Luminous to protect itself and cover Suzaku.

"We can't fight like this!" Suzaku grunted.

If they tried attacking someone might accidently hit the Sakuradite and cause a huge explosion that would put everyone in the harbour in danger.

"They caught us by surprise." Rai spoke up.

'He's right. How could they know we were coming, unless-' Suzaku's eyes widened as he realized only one person could set up a trap this elaborate. 'Zero.'

Xxx

"It's like Narita all over again." Ohgi noted.

"It's outstanding!" Diethard who had been dressed as a Black Knight jumped and slid down the ladder.

"Hey, get back here!" Ohgi shouted, having been tasked with watching the Britannian reporter.

'He used the JLF as bait but armed them so that when the moment was right Cornelia would be taken by complete surprise and now their command is wide open now.' Diethard smirked. 'Once again Zero shows his cunning.'

"Where are you going?! Hey!" Ohgi shot at him but Diethard made it down to the ground and took off to get a better look at the carnage.

'It makes perfect sense. He used the hate the JLF had for Britannia and supplied them with enough weapons to make their stand while he swoops while making sure they can't fight back because of the Sakuradite and takes Cornelia out in all the commotion. He's excellent material, this Zero. He's chaos incarnate! More, show me more of your genius! Let your ego engulf the world!'

Diethard let out a loud laugh from the sheer exhilaration he was feeling.

Xxx

"They have us in a pincer movement! Mount up now and form defensive line on the double!" Darlton shouted as he tried to get into his Gloucester. "Protect her Highness at all costs!"

"How did they know we were here?" Cornelia grunted, trying to understand how Zero anticipated her plan again.

"Your Highness…" Guilford spoke, wishing his princess was not here.

Once the boat had slid to a stop it opened up, allowing the Knightmares inside to jump out.

"Knock their Knightmares into the sea before they can be mounted. Guren Mk-II, Seizan, you're with me!" Lelouch said as he took off.

"Right!" Kallen quickly took out a Sutherland that tried to attack Lelouch from behind.

"Right behind you!" Naruto nodded as he pulled out his kodachi and took out two more Sutherlands easily.

Cornelia quickly got into her Gloucester and started powering it up. She knew that Zero would be coming for her and this time she would be ready.

"_Your Highness, we can handle this!_" Guilford said over the radio.

"Quiet! How many times do you think I'll allow them to mock me?!" Cornelia snarled.

She would not let Zero get the better of her, not this time!

However Lelouch anticipated her intent and quickly wheeled forward, smashing his Burai into her Gloucester and through the wall of the warehouse.

"I haven't even powered on!" Cornelia growled, gripping her controls as her Gloucester came out of the wall and hit the ground.

As Lelouch's Burai wheeled out of the smoke Cornelia fired her shoulder Slash Harken that took out Lelouch's left arm.

"Do you think you can best me at Knightmare combat?!" Cornelia shouted taking her assault rifle out but a Slash Harken shot out and knocked it out of her hand.

Behind Lelouch came the Guren and Seizan out of the hole in the warehouse.

"You again?!" Cornelia growled hatefully as the Guren fired its Harkens that quickly tied up her Gloucester.

"I'll smash your hatch and drag you out, Cornelia!" Lelouch pointed his own automatic at Cornelia's cockpit.

However before he could fire a Gloucester came out from behind Cornelia and sliced the cable holding Cornelia down.

"Damn!" Lelouch pulled back.

He then saw a symbol painted on the Gloucester and noticed it was custom modified Gloucester.

"That symbol, that's the symbol of the Knights of the Round!" Lelouch's eyes widened in shock. "Kallen, Naruto, that pilot's a member of the Knights of the Round!"

"What?!" Kallen shouted over the radio.

"I know that symbol and it belongs to the Knights." Lelouch explained, his features turning grim. "Why are they here?"

"Guess we made a bigger impression than we thought." Naruto commented.

"Well, well, looks I made in time, Nelly." Nonnette spoke to Cornelia through the radio. "You almost got blown to bits."

"Save it, Nonnette. We need to take them out now!" Cornelia growled, her pride suffering a serious blow from having to be saved by the Knight of Nine who would never let her live it down.

"Oh calm down. You won't do any good all riled up like that." Nonnette said as she stared down the three enemy Frames in front of her.

"Kallen, Naruto, we need to move fast while they haven't organized themselves yet. Rush them and take them out!" Lelouch said through the private channel.

"Right!" Kallen shouted as she wheeled forward.

"Here we go!" Nonnette's smile turned predatory.

Kallen lunged at Nonnette's Gloucester with the Guren's claw but Nonnette held up her lance and slapped the claw away as she pulled out her automatic to shoot the Guren in the face. Kallen backpedaled, flipping through the air as she dodged the bullets and pulled out the Raijin sword. Nonnette however didn't plan to let her use it as she launched her Slash Harkens past Kallen, hitting the warehouse behind her and was pulled straight to the Guren. She swung her lance forward and knocked the Raijin away before Kallen could activate it and slammed her shoulder into the Guren, sending it straight into the wall of the warehouse.

"Gah!" Kallen cried out.

"Kallen!" Naruto and Lelouch shouted.

Naruto would have moved to help but that was when Cornelia leapt crashing her blades between Naruto's kodachi.

"This is payback for Narita!" Cornelia shouted as she backpedaled and fired her Harkens at Lelouch who grunted as he stepped back to avoid being hit.

Xxx

Meanwhile someone was watching from a safe distance, observing the battle and seeing that Cornelia was barely holding out. The person was in a standard Sutherland with a sniper rifle in its hand.

"Enemy has pinned Cornelia down. Orders?" The pilot asked.

"_Assist them but do not give away your presence._"

"Understood." The person then aimed the rifle at the JLF tanker and immediately pulled the trigger.

The bullet shot through the air, past the Burais and the JLF soldiers and hit one of the tanks of liquid Sakuradite. The effect was instant as the JLF tanker was instantly engulfed in a huge explosion that wiped the people onboard and took out a few nearby Britannian Knightmares on the land and still in the sea.

Both Suzaku and Rai were shocked when they saw the JLF tanker exploded but had no time to comment as a voice spoke over the radio. "_The enemy tanker has been eliminated. Go and assist Princess Cornelia. She's under attack by enemy forces._"

"The princess! Zero!" Suzaku realized as he sped off.

Zero would not get away this time.

Xxx

"Damn it!" Naruto grunted as the shockwave from the explosion flew past them, sending debris flying all around them. "Who blew up the tanker?!"

Nonnette still had Kallen pinned down and tried to finish her off but thinking quickly Kallen placed her clawed hand on the wall behind the Guren and activate the Wave Surger. The wall instantly exploded, covering the whole area in dust.

"Gah!" Nonnette as she fell forward as the Guren pedaled back but managed to right herself just as Kallen slapped her Gloucester in the face and knocked it back. "She's good. A little bit of training and she might be Knight of the Round material."

Cornelia was caught off guard by the destroyed warehouse and Lelouch quickly aimed his automatic at her. But before he could fire a blue and white Knightmare leapt out and stood in front of Cornelia, blocking the bullets with a green shield.

"What?!" Kallen exclaimed.

"A new model?!" Lelouch's eyes widened.

Naruto looked up and saw a Sutherland leaping over the wooden crates and aim its foot down at Lelouch. "Oh no you don't!"

Seizan leapt up as Suzaku fell forward and aimed his own kick at its midsection. The foot slammed into the Sutherland's chest and sent it spiraling through the air but it easily landed back on its feet, thanks to its pilot's skills.

"Zero, you're methods are not going to change anything." Suzaku spoke through his Sutherland's speakers as Seizan landed next to Lelouch's Burai. "You're focused on goals and don't understand the pain of others!"

'Suzaku! Not again!' Lelouch gritted his teeth.

"Well, if it isn't the Knight in Shining armor and you have a new friend. I see you traded in your fancy Knightmare. Got tired of being defeat in that white toy?" Naruto commented through Seizan's speakers. "No longer confident you can defeat us alone?"

He looked to the new Knightmare and instantly noticed a red light in the cockpit where the pilot was through his disguised Rinnegan.

'He has Geass!' Naruto realized.

"These are people's lives you are playing with! You're nothing but murderers!" Suzaku exclaimed as he changed forward.

"Oh shut up with your crap! We're not the ones who blew up that tanker!" Naruto shouted, getting really annoyed with Suzaku's attitude.

The four Britannian Knightmares instantly moved into action against the three enemies before them. Rai jumped up into the air, pulling his MVS sword and clashed with Naruto's kodachi, Nonnette and Suzaku engaged Kallen while Cornelia went after Lelouch.

"Damn it!" Kallen gritted her teeth as the two Knightmares charged towards her.

The Raijin sword had been knocked out of her hands so she only had her skills and the Guren's manoeuvrability to rely on. Luckily all Nonnette had was a golden lance and Suzaku only had a rifle with micro-ammunition and his Frame's Stun-Tonfas but both made up for the lack of weaponry with their piloting skills.

"Hey, Eleven boy!" Nonnette said through the radio. "Go help Nelly. I got this!"

"But-Understood." Suzaku wanted to object but Nonnette was Knight of the Round so he obeyed.

"Oh crap!" Kallen punched the communicator as Suzaku moved to attack Lelouch. "Lelouch, get out of there! Suzaku's coming towards you!"

"I can't! Cornelia's got me pinned!" Lelouch said as he struggled to avoid Cornelia's golden lance killing him.

"Naruto?" Kallen asked, looking to where Naruto's Knightmare was, seeing him fighting the Lancelot look-a-like.

"Little busy." Naruto said as he fought with the Club. "I can't go all out in a place like this without seriously causing damage and possibly killing everyone else. We got to hurry and get past these guys and get out before the enemy piles on us!"

At the very least he and the Club were even in combat. The new Knightmare not only looked like the Lancelot but shared a lot of its features but the pilot seemed be highly skilled as he fought with fast reflexes and seemed to be just as skilled, if not more skilled than Suzaku.

'He's not using his Geass meaning it probably it doesn't work like Kallen's.' Naruto thought as he blocked a slash and launched a kick that the Lancelot look-alike dodged by jumping back, flipping through the air and landing perfectly on its feet a few yards away. 'But he's a very good pilot.'

Kallen cursed as she avoided Nonnette spearing the Guren with her golden glance and sped away, firing her Slash Harkens but Nonnette fired her assault rifle that collided with Kallen's Harkens in mid-air, cutting into the cables and sending the blades flying. Kallen quickly sped off towards where the Raijin sword was lying on the ground, aware that Nonnetta was shooting at her from behind. She grunted as she heard bullets hitting the right arm but leapt forward, grabbing the Raijin sword and activated it as she landed on her feet.

"Long range mode activated!" Kallen shouted as she spun around and swung her blade out, releasing a blast of red lightning.

Nonnette spun out of the way and shot at Kallen again but she used her sword to block the bullets as she charged forward with a loud yell.

However to her shock, Nonnette vanished and reappeared right in front of her. "Huh?!"

As Naruto fended off Rai his Rinnegan caught sight of something, a red light enveloping Kallen for a ten whole seconds. 'That light, it's a Geass!'

'**So, another Geass user.**' Kurama mused.

"You have to move fast!" Nonnette laughed as she thrust her lance forward.

Acting on instinct Kallen held up clawed hand and activate her Wave Surger, creating a shield that blocked Nonnette's lance and destroyed it. She swung her Raijin sword at the Knight but Nonnette vanished, reappearing twenty feet away.

'Again?!' Kallen's eyes widened as she had to dodge Nonnette firing her Slash Harkens at the Gurren's cockpit. 'How does he do that?!'

"Kallen, there's a Geass user here!" The red headed pilot heard Naruto shouting through the radio.

"What?!" Kallen exclaimed.

"Yeah, the guy's close by but I can't concentrate on finding him and fighting at the same time. All I know is that Geass must somehow paralyze its target like yours. You got to use your Geass and take out your opponent. I got this guy but Lelouch is getting creamed so we have to move fast." Naruto replied. "The moment you have an opening take it and get out of here."

Lelouch was having the worst luck of the three as Naruto was holding off the Lancelot Club while Kallen was at a stalemate for the moment with Nonnette. He had already lost one arm and while he hadn't lost his rifle it was next to useless as Cornelia and Suzaku were too agile. The funny thing was that it wasn't his skill keeping him alive; it was the lack of teamwork and coordination between Cornelia and Suzaku. Cornelia was overly aggressive as usual and attacking without taking note of Suzaku who had to abort a move that would have finished Lelouch off more than once.

"Damn it!" Lelouch swore as his Burai lost its rifle thanks to Suzaku knocking it out of Lelouch's hand with a Stun-Tonfa and Lelouch barely managed to keep the arm.

He kept on moving, knowing that if he stopped he was dead.

"Surrender, Zero!" Suzaku stated through the Sutherland's speakers.

"As if." Lelouch said as he reached for the hidden compartment on his right side and pulled out a capsule.

The same weapon that had been designed just in case he ended up fighting the Lancelot without any backup had been added to his Burai as a precaution. It would release a shockwave of chakra that would disable or overload any Knightmare it touches and that hopefully included the Lancelot.

"A chaos mine?!" Cornelia's eyes widened as Lelouch threw it at her and Suzaku.

"Your Highness!" Suzaku moved in front of Cornelia to shield her with his Frame.

However instead of raining down multiple explosives on them the capsule released an explosion of blue light that collided with Suzaku and sent him flying back while Cornelia tried moved out of the way but Suzaku collided with her and they flew back.

"Gah!" Suzaku cried out as he collided with the wall of a nearby warehouse.

"Damn it!" Cornelia cursed as her Gloucester hit the wall next to Suzaku with enough force to make a series of cracks form around her.

"Now's my chance!" Lelouch tried to flee but he suddenly froze even though he had no way of knowing that.

Naruto who was still fighting the Lancelot Club saw the bright red light engulfing Lelouch and realized the same Geass user who had paralyzed Kallen was doing it to Lelouch. 'Damn it, not again! We're actually on the losing side this time!'

"All the systems are fried, I can't move." Suzaku slammed his console when he saw that the strange energy blast had overloaded his systems. "Not now. I have to move! I have to stop Zero!"

While Suzaku was down Cornelia had luckily avoided the blast thanks to Suzaku shielding her with his Frame even though she had been knocked back into the warehouse with him.

"Zero, your tricks won't work a second time." Cornelia glared at the black Burai staring at her. "I'm ending your rebellion and I will see to it you suffer for my humiliation!"

"Huh?!" Lelouch felt disorientated for some reason and looked up to see Cornelia's Gloucester that just managed to get back up and renew her attack. "Shit!"

'Same Geass froze Lelouch until they could attack him again.' Realizing that enough was enough Naruto had to act fast. He activated the power of the Asura Path inside Seizan and rockets appeared in the feet, propelling Seizan forward as it grappled with the Lancelot Club and slammed it into a pile of crates.

Rai grunted as the crates fell on top of the Club, burying him but he wouldn't be down for long and Naruto knew that. Upon realizing that a Geass was slowing her down Kallen activated her own Geass as she and Nonnette charged at each other again. She watched as the customized Gloucester slowed down before her, the power her Geass enhancing her vision and seeing things more clearly and slowing everything down. Just as they were at point blank range as Nonnette thrust her lance forward Kallen reacted just as the lance was mere inches from the cockpit.

The Guren suddenly leapt up, over the lance and its foot came down on the Gloucester's head before it jumped off and send Nonnette tumbling forward.

"Gah!" Nonnette grunted as she tumbled across the ground.

"Hang on!" Kallen moved forward to save Lelouch.

As this happened the person who had been watching the fight and destroyed the JLF tanker knew that something had to be done fast or Cornelia would lose. The person's left eye flared with the power of Geass.

"Hm?" Naruto narrowed his eyes as he saw a red light envelope him and Kallen, freezing her but he was immune to the effects of Geass.

At the same time Lelouch had been cornered by Cornelia with the Princess aiming the tip of her lance at his cockpit.

Lelouch thought it was over until both Knightmares suddenly stopped in front of him. "Huh?"

"Lelouch, hurry! Move!" Naruto shouted.

Thinking Naruto had done something Lelouch fired his Slash Harkens, aiming both at Cornelia's knees. The loss of her knees caused Cornelia to fall forward while still charging towards Lelouch. The masked boy barely moved out of the way in time as Cornelia fell face first into a large wooden crate.

"Gah!" Cornelia grunted as the crash shook her cockpit and she slammed her fist on her console when she realized she lost her legs. "Damn it!"

"We have to move, now!" Lelouch said as he took off.

Suzaku looked up and saw Zero fleeing. He had seen the entire fight and wandered if the strange explosive had paralyzed Cornelia for a second, allowing Zero to make his move and take her out. He needed to stop the terrorist before he escaped and he needed to do it now.

"Come on…Fire!" Suzaku shouted as he slammed his fist down on his console and fired his Slash Harkens at the Burai's back.

Lelouch heard an alarm as the Harkens slammed into his back and came out the other side.

"Lelouch, eject!" Kallen shouted.

Lelouch did as he was told and ejected his cockpit from his Burai as Suzaku tried to pull him back.

"Damn!" Suzaku gritted his teeth as he saw Zero getting away again.

"He's fine, let's go!" Naruto shouted as he spun off with Kallen behind him.

"Will Lelouch will be all right?" Kallen asked as they lost the Britannians behind them.

"He'll be fine, boy's too stubborn to die from something like that. And just in case there's someone moving to check up on him right now." Naruto replied with a small smile before frowning. "But we got some new problems to deal with now."

Xxx

C.C. came out of hiding as Lelouch's cockpit crashed onto the ground not far from her. She had been busy trying to track down Mao but she had been interrupted by the battle at the harbour and the fact that Mao for some reason turned away from the school. She didn't know why but she had little time to consider as she rushed down here to see the battle end.

'Troublesome boy.' C.C. looked down and saw that Lelouch's gun had fallen out of his clothes and landed on the ground in front of him. 'Honestly, he just keeps on getting in trouble.'

Xxx

Lelouch groaned as he awoke with a pounding headache. 'Wh-where am I?'

"Looks like the idiot's awake." C.C.'s annoying voice spoke from somewhere nearby.

Lelouch opened his eyes and found himself inside his room in the Black Knight's mobile headquarters.

"You okay?" Kallen asked as she came into his vision with a concerned look.

"What happened?" Lelouch said as he sat up.

"You want the short version or the long version?" Naruto sat against the table where Lelouch's laptop rested. "Short version is that mission got fucked up."

"And the long version?" Lelouch asked with a frown.

"We had Cornelia on the ropes when someone blew up the tanker and took out the JLF." Kallen answered with a scowl. "Ohgi reported that was a Sutherland with a sniper rifle that wheeled off when it fired."

"And if that wasn't bad enough we ended up facing a Knightmare that was similar to the Lancelot and a pilot who appears to be a member of the Knights of the Round. With the death of General Katase the Japan Liberation Front is pretty much done for. Their leaders are all gone with only Todoh and the Four Holy Swords left but without any Knightmares or any backing from Kyoto what's left of the JLF will collapse and scatter across Japan with no hope of recovery." Naruto added his input into the report.

"That's right…" Lelouch grimaced as he remembered. "We got blind-sided by this unexpected development."

"There's also the matter that there are two Geass users working with the enemy." Naruto continued.

"What?!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"It's true. Naruto explained to me how you and Kallen were caught off guard as your opponents seemingly teleported in front of you. No doubt it's from a member of the Gease Directorate and from what I saw from our shared vision it was Rolo, their top assassin." C.C. explained. "His Geass is the Seal of Absolute Suspension, meaning he can freeze the perception of his targets. He froze you and Kallen during the fight to give Cornelia the advantage."

"That explains it…That's why Cornelia froze when she cornered me." Lelouch realized. "Why did he freeze her?"

"He didn't mean to. Kallen and I took down our opponents and were moving to help you. Rolo had to use a wide range effect of his Geass which froze Kallen but he accidentally caught Cornelia in it. Luckily you were out of range but I was immune to it so I would have taken her out before she could finish you off." Naruto explained. "And then there's the Geass user in the new Knightmare looking like the Lancelot. I don't know his story because he never used it in the fight meaning it must only be used directly like yours."

"And I had to use my Geass to defeat that Knight I fought." Kallen added, sounding slightly shameful. "He's good, skilled enough that if not for my Geass I don't think I would have won."

"Great." Lelouch rubbed the back of his head. "So our enemy has two new ace pilots, one of which has Geass and an assassin who has a Geass that can paralyze anyone like Kallen's but doesn't need eye contact and the other is a Knight of the Round. This changes things greatly."

"Pretty much." C.C. nodded.

"So they've finally sent a Geass user here but you mentioned the pilot of the Knightmare resembling the Lancelot having Geass?" Lelouch sighed.

"He didn't use it so I guess it can only be used in person like yours and Kallen's. But he seems to be as skilled as Suzaku or Kallen from what I saw." Naruto answered as he picked up Lelouch's laptop. "There is a way to find out where that Knightmare came from. Our benefactor has been looking into it."

"Benefactor?" Lelouch and Kallen asked at the same time.

Naruto tapped the mouse and Rakshata appeared on the screen. "You're on Rakshata-chan."

"_Ah, finally. I was wondering if I'd meet the infamous Zero._" Rakshata grinned at the two shocked teens. "_I take you have heard of me?_"

"Rakshata Chawla? The woman whose work in cybernetic prosthetics and general enhancements have revolutionized Knightmare research? She designed the Guren." Lelouch commented with a surprised look on her face.

"And our Knightmares too." Naruto offered with a smirk.

"Really?" Kallen wondered where Naruto and C.C. got their Knightmares. "She designed your Knightmares? How did she come up with a way for you guys to use your powers with the Knightmares?"

"We did some modifications of our own." C.C. answered with her signature smile. "And we gave Rakshata some tips on how to make some improvements herself."

"Gave her? Like what?" Lelouch questioned.

"_Well, this would be one of them, boy._" Rakshata smirked as she closed her eyes and when she opened she was greeted with satisfying looks of surprise on Lelouch and Kallen's faces. "Something on my face?"

"Those eyes…" Lelouch trailed off when he saw those ringed eyes. "That's the-"

"_Rinnegan_._ Right you are little Zero, while building my wonderful children that have been helping you C.C. gave me these eyes and made me one of her Paths. And thanks to them I've learning so much about these powers and what I can make._" Rakshata chuckled. "_Hope you like what else I have in store._"

"Wait, C.C. mentioned she gave someone the Rinnegan before Sayoko. It was you." Lelouch realized.

"_Yes and I've been working on discovering where that Knightmare came from and I know it's the work of Lloyd Asplund, an Earl who works for Prince Schenizel._" Rakshata stated as she smoked her pipe. "_Luckily when you found the Ashford's old weapons factory you gave me a way to access Britannian military data._"

"What'd you find?" Naruto asked.

"_Well, it seems that Knightmare you fought, the Lancelot Club was a project set up to try and mass-produce Seven Generation Knightmare frames but the project failed because of how poor the prototype's performance was. Turns out that Lloyd used a Sutherland Frame built with spare parts from the Lancelot. Perhaps he found a pilot capable of using the Club perfectly now even if the Club is not as advanced with the Lancelot._" Rakshata explained.

"How does having the Ashford's old weapons factory help us?" Kallen questioned.

"Just because the Ashford's lost their nobility doesn't mean they lost all of their connections. Turns out the Ashfords, more specifically Ruben Ashford found out how to hack the Britannian military data network and even has a library on every known conceivable Knightmare combination. He's even come up with a counter for the VARIS through a shield system Rakshata is looking at along with the Blaze Luminous systems that the Lancelot and the Club are equipped with." C.C. answered and grinned when she saw the surprised looks on Kallen and Lelouch's faces. "And with Rakshata's help and some money from Lelouch's funding we can start producing Knightmares, powerful ones for the Black Knights soon. Of course we'll have to keep it secret or Britannia will start producing more powerful Knightmares to compete with us, making it harder to actually take back Japan."

"This…this is amazing." Lelouch looked at the screen as Rakshata brought up schematics of Knightmares. "We could mass produce Knightmares as capable as the Guren and your Knightmares in a matter of days."

"That's not all, Lelouch. Take a look at this Knightmare." C.C. brought up a Knightmare file and showed it to Lelouch.

"Is this an experimental Knightmare?" Lelouch looked it over and was impressed by what he saw.

"The reason we're showing you this is because you need a personal Knightmare if you're going out onto the battlefield. Your skills with a Knightmare are not on our level or Suzaku's and if they corner you again you won't last long." Naruto explained with a serious look.

"You wish to design a personal Knightmare for me?" Lelouch questioned, seeing the benefit of such an idea.

"Not wish, going to. Rakshata's already at work on it." Naruto answered. "You need to defend yourself, especially if and when we're not around to save your scrawny ass."

"Very well. At the very least I realize that I need a Knightmare I can use as a command center while out on the battlefield." Lelouch relented.

"And that means you need to start getting some training on the simulator. Now that that's over with we need to head back. Today was a long day." Naruto yawned. "And I'm wiped out."

"He's right." Kallen nodded as she yawned. "That was a long mission even for us."

Xxx

Deep within the depths of the Ashford Weapons factory Mito Senju smiled as she looked over the data on her laptop.

"All right, we're all set up here." Mito said.

"_All right, let's begin._" Rakshata smiled from the screen.

With that said Mito activated the factory by bring up her cursor to the word FABRICATE and clicked on it. She watched as the mechanical arms and conveyor belts activate, taking the parts that had been brought in and began building what Mito had programmed the computers to build, a Knightmare frame from scratch with experimental technology that officially did not exist yet but all the necessary parts had been acquired thanks to the wonderful effects of Summoning and Sealing Jutsus.

"Another masterpiece." Mito chuckled gleefully. "It should be ready in just a few weeks."

Xxx

"Good and in the meantime I have to work on the most important piece of the project." Rakshata grinned as she looked at the Sakuradite Core Luminous before her. "Time to see if my chakra control exercises paid off."

She held out her hands and activated her Rinnegan as she begun the procedure, releasing small tendrils of blue chakra into the cube before her. As she studied her new abilities she learned that her chakra was blue unlike C.C. and Naruto's because while she was made one of C.C.'s paths her body created its own chakra network from C.C. granting her the Rinnegan that did not share the unique aspects that C.C. and Naruto shared.

'Meaning I can't convert a Knightmare or person into a path like C.C. can but that doesn't mean I can't continue to produce Core Radiance as a new and improved energy source. And the Earl of Pudding will tear his own hair off trying to figure out how I could create a new energy source like this.' Rakshata thought with a grin as she pushed her chakra into the cube, following what she had seen from Naruto and C.C.

Oh yes, Rakshata was going to give birth to a lot of badass children in the future.

Xxx

**All right, another chapter done.**

**I'd like to take this chance to speak and thank all my reviewers for their supports up to now. I never thought I'd get over three hundred reviews this fast but I guess I wasn't the only only who wanted to see this story continued but I'm glad you all like it. Now there are a few things I'd like to talk about:**

**One: Lelouch's Knightmare**

**I'm actually thinking of a few ideas of what it would look like and what weapons it could have. Several times I thought I could just make an upgraded version of the Shinkiro with a few hidden surprises. I realized that while Naruto and C.C. made their Knightmares unable to be used by anyone but them it's not the same for Rakashata because Seizan and Shinryoku were converted into Naruto and C.C.'s Asura paths. So it's possible she can create Knightmares that while have Core Radiance they can be piloted by people other than anyone who has chakra. And after creating Kallen's Raijin sword I imagine Rakshata's eagerly working several new weapons that she might want to try out. I'm actually considering listening to the advice of anyone who has any ideas about what they think Lelouch's new and improved Knightmare should be like as I work on it with a few of my own ideas and when it should officially make a debut. I'm still scratching my head on that one.**

**Two: Naruto and C.C's blood**

**A lot of people pointed out how they didn't want Britannia to make instant shinobis because they were injected with Naruto's blood and I agree. I just don't believe that they wouldn't have taken some samples from Naruto while he was in that facility for two weeks when he arrived in the Code: Geass world. So when Charles realizes the strange powers that the strange boy that came out of nowhere has shown he orders Bartley and the Geass order to find a countermeasure the only way to understand that power is to understand how it works. But for those who reviewed and said that they can't make shinobis you are right because trying to develop chakra inside a normal human body that doesn't have a chakra circulatory system would be like inserting poison into the body.**

**However the reason that Charles is ordering Barley to inject C.C.'s blood into subjects because he realizes it's possible that something has altered C.C.'s code into something that he cannot use for the Ragnarok Connection. That's not to say it will work because as one reviewer pointed out it's not C.C.'s blood that has the Code but at the same time I believe her blood had been used in the Code-R Project and helped create Jeremiah's Geass Canceller. Even if her blood doesn't grant the immortality Code the way I see it is that the Code is a form of energy, a conduit of sorts for C's World, containing an imprint of the collective subconsciousness of humanity and I believe that energy, while can't be copied, a very small bit of can be extracted through a Code Bearer's blood since it keeps the body immortal and heals them from almost any kind of wound but it requires a lot of power to be used, especially if the subject doesn't have Geass and that's why they made Jeremiah into a cyborg and tampered with his mind. They were building experimental technology to channel that small bit of energy that got from the blood but it's only enough to cancel Geass effects much like how C.C. cancelled the effect Charles's Geass on Lelouch and it keeps his body stable as C.C.'s cells were implanted into Geass users on Nightmare of Nunnally that caused biological degradation even if it's not considered canon. It's basically a crude attempt to copy the Code's powers but it's impossible to copy the immortality or the ability to grant Geass but that doesn't mean Charles isn't going to look for ways to artificially create a Code or find another Code Bearer, if there are Code Bearers out there besides V.V. and C.C.**

**Now I'm not giving away anything here I'm just stating my views on what I believe could and might happen and I thank you all for your input. **

**Three: What happens between Season One and Two?**

**I know we're a long way from that but I like to consider my options as we go down that road. Like for starters, do we encounter characters from any spin off stories like Oz of the Reflection or Akito the Exiled. I've already considered bringing in a few characters from some of the other story lines like I did with Rai and the Lancelot Club but that'll happen down the road. I'm just asking for some opinions in that matter but I'm sure I'll think of something.**

**So then, hope you enjoy this chapter and chapters I plan to make in the future**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

"_So, Cornelia was caught in your Geass and Zero took advantage of her vulnerability._"

"Yes." The speaker nodded. "The JLF was eliminated as ordered but I've discovered the pilot of the blue Knightmare is immune to my Geass."

"_So either the pilot of the blue Knightmare is C.C. or the boy that escaped the facility. What can you tell me about it and the red Knightmare?_"

"Both seem equal to the Lancelot and the Club but the blue one seems to be more powerful, built for all-purpose while the red one was built for speed and agility. The red beam sword seems to be used for both close and long range offense but the main weapon seems to be the silver claw called the Radiant Wave Surger."

"_Very well. We've learned much from this operation but we still need more information. I hear Lloyd Asplund is developing a new Knightmare based off the Lancelot but will be made easier for pilots to use. It'll be ready in a few weeks. When it is ready you will take over as the pilot. Until remain hidden until you receive instructions._"

"Understood." The speaker nodded and ended the transmission.

Xxx

"Bartley." Said man stiffened when he heard his name was called and instantly stood to attention. "Is the subject ready?"

"Y-Yes! He's stable and ready for the operation. " Bartley nodded.

"Good." Bartley's superior nodded with a smooth smile. "And the samples?"

"Ready to be injected." Bartley quickly answered.

"Excellent. I want the procedure to begin as soon as we're ready."

Bartley nodded again as the speaker turned and walked out of the room. When he was gone Bartley let out a shudder and sigh when he was gone. How had he gotten himself into this mess? Now he was participating in a project that would grant the Emperor a power greater than anything in the world but Bartley could not help but wonder if the world would survive if the project was a success.

Xxx

"Cera, what's bothering you?" Naruto asked as they took a separate route home from Lelouch while Kallen returned to her house. "You've been acting distant and I know you're worried. What is it?"

C.C. looked away. "…I have something personal to take care of."

"Have?" Naruto noticed the wording of her sentence.

"It's personal, Naruto. I don't want you involved." C.C. shook her head.

"Okay, knock it off." Naruto stepped in front of her. "Something's bugging you and you won't tell me? I thought we trusted each other completely."

"It's not an issue of trust it's…" C.C. looked down at the ground. "A mistake I need to fix before you end up in danger."

"What makes you think I'll end up in danger?" Naruto tilted his head. "I'm not afraid."

"It's personal because…" C.C. sighed when she realized Naruto wouldn't let her go without explaining. Why did she fall for this stubborn knucklehead? "It's about someone I made a contract before I met you."

"A previous contractor?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Yes and he's here in the city…looking for me." C.C. stared into Naruto's blue eyes. "And he'll kill anyone who gets in his way."

Naruto frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"He's my mistake; I am the one who needs to stop him." C.C. looked out across the city. "I thought I had him until he pulled back for some reason."

"So now what? Can you still see him?" Naruto asked as they stopped in front of the school.

C.C. looked around, her Rinnegan seeing dozens of blue signatures that were inhabitants of the Tokyo Settlement but her eyes settled on a red light in the distance.

"He's out there in the city but he normally hides in the Ghettos. He must be trying to track me." C.C. answered.

"Hm…" Naruto used his Rinnegan to see the red light and knew it was a Geass that was currently active. "And that's a Runaway Geass isn't it?"

"Yes." C.C. nodded.

"That direction…Isn't that where Kallen lives?" Naruto's eyes widened.

Xxx

Kallen snuck back into her room easily, having done it a dozen times already. The battle tonight had been a disaster with the unexpected of the blue Lancelot looking Knightmare and the new Geass user that froze her and Lelouch in mid-battle. She could only sigh as she accepted that they wouldn't win every battle with Lelouch, Naruto, and C.C. leading the charge. She still had questions but she was slowly…dare she say it getting use to them even if they weren't who she had expected.

Just as she stepped into the middle of her room her senses screamed at her and she spun around to catch a fist aimed at the back of her head. She caught it but she soon enough realized it was a mistake as she felt over a dozen volts of electricity coursing through her which caused her to scream out. She fell over, hitting the floor with a loud grunt.

"My, my, my, what do we have here?"

Kallen looked up and saw the attack was tall with silver hair with a purple visor covering his eyes and earphones on his ears. The visor lifted slightly enough that Kallen could see his eyes.

The blazing red bird like crest of Geass in both of his eyes.

"You're going to help me get my dear C.C. back from that blond bastard." The white haired stranger said, his voice seething with hatred.

"Good job." A dark skinned woman with blue hair and gold eyes stepped out from behind the stranger and smiled darkly down at Kallen. "It seems we've caught our first member of the Black Knights."

Xxx

By the time Naruto and C.C. reached Kallen's house Mao was seemingly already gone as the red light that was his Geass was moving away too fast for him to be moving on foot so it meant that he was in a car. Naruto jumped through Kallen's window and landed in the middle of the room, dressed his black and grey armor, grey cloak with his mask over his face.

"Damn. We missed them." Naruto growled as C.C. appeared behind him. "I should have given Kallen a kunai when I had the chance."

"Mao won't go far. The sound of a dozen people's thoughts gives him a headache. He'll head to one of the Ghettos." C.C. reasoned.

"Why did he go after Kallen anyways? How'd he know she was connected to us?" Naruto turned and faced C.C.

"He must have heard someone's thoughts, possibly someone in the Black Knights and when he sought her out he read her mind." C.C. mused as she looked around the room.

"He can read minds?" Naruto stopped and looked at C.C.

"He can read the minds of anyone within five hundred meters of himself and it doesn't require eye contact." C.C. answered. "But he lost control of his Geass a long time ago and hasn't been able to turn it off."

"So if he read Kallen's mind then…Shit!" Naruto cursed as he pulled out his cell phone.

Xxx

Lelouch grunted as he woke up to the sound of his cell phone ringing. He sat up, grumbling as he did so and answered. "Hello?"

Fortunately for whoever is calling is that his mother made sure he never forgot manners, even when he was in a bad mood.

"_Lelouch,_" Naruto's voice spoke from the other end. "_We have a problem. A big problem._"

Xxx

Kallen groaned as she regained consciousness, feeling like her head was about to split open. She tried to move but her hands were cuffed behind her and she was sitting on a chair with her feet cuffed to the legs. Looking up she was greeted with the sigh of a dark skinned woman with gold eyes, wearing a Britannian military uniform and the man who knocked her out standing next to her.

"You-" Kallen whispered.

"Please, don't get up Kallen Stadtfeld or should I say Kallen Kozuki?" The white haired man asked, smiling as he walked up to her. "Daughter of Duke Stadtfeld and Saya Kozuki, younger sister of Naoto Kozuki who unfortunately was executed by Prince Clovis leading you to join his group which later became the core group of the Black Knights headed by Zero."

Kallen's eyes widened by what the man had said while Villetta narrowed her eyes, wondering how the man figured it out.

"Who-"

"Am I?" The white haired man chuckled and clapped. "Ah, that's right. I forgot. My humble name is Mao and you could say I'm information broker of sorts who makes it a habit to know everything. That being said figuring out who you are was so easy."

"So Miss Stadtfeld," Villetta held out several pictures for Kallen to see. "Do you know these people?"

Kallen's eyes widened when she saw they were pictures of Lelouch, Naruto, and C.C.

"So you do know them." Mao laughed, toying with her. "It's written all over your face as your eyebrows twitched meaning you recognize them and won't say anything about them. Let me guess…One of them is Zero, right?" Kallen stiffened as she tried to hold her breath but that only made Mao's smile widen. "Oh, so one of them _is_ Zero."

"How can you tell?" Villetta asked, glancing at the strange man.

"The way her body stiffened and if you had been paying attention to her eyes you would have noticed that her eyes landed on the black haired boy with violet eyes when I asked her if one of them was Zero meaning that when she looked at the boy she answered my question." Mao answered easily, watching with an arrogant smirk as Kallen paled. "And her reaction is just helping me prove my case."

"So, the boy is Zero." Villetta looked at the picture if Lelouch. "I remember him from Shinjuku with those two Knightmares."

"And that means those two," Mao pointed at Naruto and C.C. "Are the Knightmare pilots."

"It's all circumstantial though. We need evidence to prove your claims." Villetta frowned. "All you have to go with is facial expressions on this girl's face."

"Oh, I forgot." Mao sighed. "Why must everyone else be so incapable?"

Villetta scowled at the insult.

"Oh well, it can't be helped. So then," Mao leaned in close to Kallen. "Tell me, Kallen, do you know why Zero is rebelling against Britannia?"

Kallen gritted her teeth as she tried to scare him with the best glare she had.

"You don't do you? You have no idea!" Mao threw his head back and laughed. "You have no idea why he's fighting Britannia and yet you follow him? Are you sure he's not using you for his own agenda? How can you trust him if he keeps all his secrets hidden? Or what his hidden agendas are?" Mao stopped laughing and looked down at the shocked look on Kallen's face. "He didn't even choose to show his face, his knights made if for him and yet you still follow him. So why would you follow a Britannia and not ask why? Don't you want to know? Or maybe he's managed to trick with his fancy speeches or maybe he even lied about his Geass and he's using it to control you even now!"

Villetta would have said something when Kallen's phone started ringing. The red haired girl gasped as she heard it ring, her mind jumbling as she tried to assure herself that she was not being manipulated like this lunatic implied but she still had a few doubts, even if Lelouch, Naruto, and C.C. had proven themselves a few times already.

What if Mao was right and they were using her?

Where she and the Black Knights pawns to be played with and tossed aside?

Kallen just couldn't come up with an answer and it was getting to her.

"I got it!" Mao picked up the phone and answered in a sing-song tone. "Hello?"

"_Mao._" The sound her voice made Mao almost split his face with the smile he made.

"Oh, my beloved C.C. How I long to hear your voice again!" Mao turned away from the two ladies and walked to the other end of the dark room. "How you thought about me at all in our time apart?"

"_Where is she?_"

"Hm? Oh, you mean your other contractor?" Mao threw a glance at Kallen who stared at his back with a fearful expression. "She's fine. No need to hurt her…yet."

"_I am coming for you._"

"Of course you are but are you bringing…_him_." Mao spat the last word out like he had swallowed something horrible.

"_He's with me and he wants to know if Kallen is all right._"

"Oh, she'll be fine…if he lets me kill him." Mao answered darkly.

"_You cannot have him, Mao. He belongs to me, just like how Kallen belongs to me. They are contracted to me._"

"But I am the only one you need!" Mao growled. "Don't you see we are meant to be together?!"

This earned looks from Villetta and Kallen who tried listening to the conversation and wondered what he was talking about.

"_You wouldn't fulfil our contract. I had no use for you because you wouldn't give me what I wanted. That matter is now moot though. I am here now and I will not let you take what's precious to me._"

"AM I NOT PRECIOUS TO YOU?!" Mao shouted.

"_Goodbye Mao._" C.C. hung up.

"C.C.!" Mao screamed as he threw the phone at the wall, howling as the phone shattered on impact and it's scattered pieces fell across the floor.

"What's going on?" Villetta reached for her gun but Mao spun around and lunged at her, knocking the gun out of her hand and slapping her across the face.

She fell to the ground with a loud cry and Mao hit Villetta across the face again and again until she was knocked out. Kallen leaned back against her chair, becoming afraid from the sudden anger Mao suddenly showed because of whatever C.C. said to him.

"She can't do this to me…She can't do this…CAN'T SHE SEE WE ARE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER?!" Mao roared, his voice echoing throughout the dark room.

Kallen was trying to break free of her cuffs while Mao was distracted but he turned to her with an angry look on her face. On instinct Kallen activated her Geass, her Absolute Vision allowing her to enhance her senses and hopefully paralyze him.

"Oh no, you can't paralyze me…" Mao chuckled darkly. "You can't make eye contact with me because of these." Mao pointed to his visors. "You won't be getting away that easily."

Kallen thought she was done for when her Geass allowed her to see two purple signatures coming to the entrance of the building they were in. She knew those signatures having long since memorized them from training with her Geass.

Mao stiffened and turned to the door. "She's here…She's here….MY BELOVED C.C.! YOU HAVE COME! I KNEW YOU WOULD!"

He rushed out of the room, leaving Kallen to let out a gasp of air from what she had just experienced.

Xxx

"Is Lelouch in position?" Naruto asked as they came upon the entrance to the abandoned warehouse where Mao was hiding.

"He is and he's waiting." C.C. nodded.

"Good." Naruto stated. "This is going to be messy."

Just as they stepped in a light shined on them and out of the darkness came a Sutherland with its gun aimed at them.

'How'd he get his hands on a Sutherland?' Naruto thought.

"Oh, C.C.! You are here! Hope you don't mind but I borrowed this from a Britannian warehouse that stores reserve Knightmares just so I could surprise you." Mao's voice laughed through the speakers. "And I see you brought…_You!_" The Sutherland aimed its rifle at Naruto and fired.

'Shit!' Naruto jumped to side and took off as the Sutherland fired an endless burst of bullets after him.

"HOW DARE YOU TAKE HER FROM ME?! SHE DOESN'T NEED ANYONE BUT ME!" Mao shouted as he kept on shooting. "WE ARE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER!"

Xxx

'Sounds like Naruto and C.C. have her distracted.' Lelouch thought when he heard the sound of gunshots from inside the warehouse.

When Naruto called and told him about a Geass user who could read minds and kidnapped Kallen that was enough to make Lelouch forget about getting any sleep for the night. It was especially alarming to hear that the Geass user could read Kallen's mind and potentially expose him so he hastily got dressed and was out the door with Nunnally still asleep while Sayoko remained to keep an eye on his sister. Naruto explained he and C.C. had a plan to distract Mao while he snuck and rescued Kallen and Lelouch agreed, knowing that Mao could read his mind while Naruto and C.C. were immune.

'I should make my move now.' Lelouch thought as he made his way to a door he had found and slipped into the warehouse.

Xxx

Naruto raced out of the warehouse with Mao hot on his trail, shooting bullets and Slash Harkens at the blond shinobi with complete recklessness.

"STAND STILL! YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME! YOU WILL DIE HERE AND C.C. WILL BE ALL MINE!" Mao roared from the Sutherland.

'You stupid little moron. You're lucky we going through an area where no one will be caught up in this.' Naruto thought as he witnessed Mao's complete and utter disregard for everything around him.

Naruto could sense the negative emotions from Mao, complete and utter hatred that was directed at him for his association with C.C. and Naruto wondered if she even told Mao her name but that was pretty unlikely. Naruto stopped as he came to a dead end which came in the form of a knocked over building that cut off his path.

"I HAVE YOU NOW!" Mao laughed as he cornered Naruto and pointed his Sutherland's gun at the shinobi. "I'LL RID THE WORLD OF YOU AND C.C. WILL BE MINE AGAIN!"

"Pathetic." Naruto said coldly as he turned and faced the Sutherland. "You think killing me will make her actually love you? Wow, you really are pathetic. Are you sure I'm finished? If you saw Kallen's mind you should know about my…talents."

"LET'S SEE HOW GOOD THEY ARE AGAINST A GUN TO TH FACE!" Mao pulled the trigger.

CLICK!

"Uh?!" Mao looked at the gun with widened eyes.

"Oh, run out of bullets?" Naruto asked with a smirk. "I was right after all."

"WHAT?!" Mao shouted bewildered.

"I know how much ammo an assault rifle has and I knew if you kept on attacking me it would only be a matter of minutes before you run out."

"YOU!" Mao tried to smash Naruto with his Sutherland's hand but Naruto only held out one hand.

"**Shinra Tensei!**"

Mao let out a scream as a powerful force slammed into the Sutherland and knocked it down, its right arm shattering from the force of the attack and causing parts to fly in every direction. "WHAT HAPPENED?! YOU NEVER USED THIS POWER BEFORE!"

"So you did see the techniques I showed Kallen when you read her mind." Naruto remarked as he walked forward. "But I didn't show her all the power I wield."

Mao grunted as he tried to stand his Sutherland up. "DAMN YOU!"

"It's also obvious that despite the fact that you read someone's mind on how to pilot a Knightmare you have no experience piloting it because your moves were all sloppy and unfocused." Naruto continued.

"SHUT UP!" Mao roared as he tried to smash Naruto with his Sutherland's left hand but Naruto pulled his sword and swung it, releasing a blast of wind shaped like a blade that cut through the Sutherland's arm easily and watched as it fell to the ground.

"Why don't you come out and face me like a man? You hide from the world, thinking you're so much better than everyone all because of your Geass which you can't control, looking down on them while using your Geass to manipulate them, toying with their fears and using whatever secrets they have without any regards to their well being." Naruto remarked as he took his mask off, a look of disgust on his face. "And worst of all you believe she'll love you for it."

"DON'T SPEAK OF HER! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK OF HER! SHE'S MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE!" Mao snarled as he opened the cockpit. His visor had been smashed and his earphones and had fallen off with his hair now falling over his face because of the crash. "I AM THE ONLY ONE MEANT TO BE WITH HER!"Mao roared and pulled out an antiquated gun. "YOU STOLE HER FROM ME!"

"Stupid child…You think C.C. would care for someone like you? You think she'd truly love you when she never ever told you her name?" Naruto asked, making Mao freeze in shock.

"She…She told you…That can't be…She never told anyone her name! Never! She never ever…told me her name." Mao gasped.

"But she told me. It's because I granted her wish. I gave her what you and so many people denied her. So long she was treated as a witch while you treated her as a toy that you could never let go. I gave her the gift of knowing she could be loved…as a human being!" Naruto declared.

"You…YOU LIAR! I LOVE HER! ME! ME! ME! AND I KNOW SHE LOVES ME!" Mao pulled the trigger on his antique gun but Naruto simply held out his hand and the bullets froze right in front of him. "What?!"

"Look at you. The mere thought of C.C. actually loving anyone sets you off into a violent rage, like a petulant child being denied his favorite treat. You lied, manipulated, tortured, and killed in her name and for that she left you because she couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand the sight of you so she left and never thought of you again." Naruto stated coldly as the bullets fell to the ground.

"Damn you…DAMN YOU NARUTO UZUMAKI! WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT YOU THAT SHE WOULD LOVE YOU INSTEAD OF ME?! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Mao roared as he ran to strangle Naruto with his bare hands.

Naruto didn't move and he didn't have to as a dark blur landed in front of him and pulled out a sword, holding it out to Mao's neck as he stopped. His eyes widened as the person took off their mask and hood, revealing _her_.

"C.C." Mao whispered, staring with joy and awe.

"Hello Mao." C.C. whispered, staring at the man who took off his visors, showing his active Geass.

"Please…Please…Come with me…Take me back…We're meant to be together." Mao whispered, holding his hands out to embrace her.

C.C. closed her eyes and then opened them, revealing her Rinnegan. "No, Mao. We are not. I feel nothing for you except pity for what you've become."

Mao's eyes widened as Naruto copied C.C.'s actions and both pairs of Rinnegan eyes stared at him. He stared into those eyes, the eyes that did not belong on his beloved C.C. He hated those eyes because they did not belong on his C.C. He feared those eyes because they were unnatural.

They were an abomination, they turned his C.C. into something that she was not meant to be, they changed her into a being that he couldn't recognize as the woman that he was meant to be with.

"Is it because…he has those eyes? He brainwashed you! He used them to corrupt you!" Mao cried out as he pointed hatefully at Naruto.

"I looked after you as a child and gave you your gift but I can see now that becoming your world was the undoing of so many others, including yourself. At one time my wish was to leave this world by whatever means necessary but now…I've found something to live for." C.C. glanced at Naruto with a very small smile. "My wish…he changed my wish to something…Something I've never wanted before and something I will never allow you to take from me." She then turned back to Mao. "You cannot have me the way you desire Mao for I never felt that way for you and I cannot. I…I'm sorry but is the path I have chosen."

Mao stepped back, his face twisting with fear and insanity as he let out a loud childish scream and lunged at Naruto. "SHE'S MMMMMMIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEE!"

C.C. moved with lightning speed and stabbed her sword through Mao's chest, striking right through his heart. Mao let out a gasp of breath and blood as he stared at the sword and looked up to C.C. with a look of confusion and betrayal as he reached out to touch her face.

"C…..C…." With that final gasp Mao died and his hand that was mere inches from C.C.'s unflinching face fell the side and hung there.

C.C. pulled out her sword and allowed Mao's body to fall over. "I doubt you'll find peace in the Pure Land, Mao but perhaps it'll bring you the silence you couldn't find here. It'll be a long time but by then hopefully you will be changed…like I was."

"He truly couldn't let you go, could he?" Naruto asked, feeling an ounce of pity for for the mad man.

"He didn't grow up with anyone because all everyone else hated him except me, I was his whole world. At the time I didn't care because I thought he'd fulfill my wish and when he became what he was…I knew he wouldn't and so I left him, even though perhaps killing him would have been the humane thing to do. Perhaps I spared him because I pitied him, perhaps I didn't do anything because I had no value on life after living for so long, and perhaps it was both and neither." C.C. whipped the blood of her sword and sheathed it. "I couldn't be with him anymore and so I left and never looked back."

"And he kept on looking for you, ever since." Naruto looked at C.C. "To look for a way to end your curse you kept on giving anyone who caught your eye Geass but they didn't have what it took to evolve to the final level, did they?"

"No. I haven't met anyone strong enough to reach the final level." C.C. looked back at Naruto. "Except for Lelouch possibly and you."

"Except I changed everything just by meeting you." Naruto offered with a smile.

"Yes…you did." C.C. put a hand to Naruto's cheek. "You changed my life, you changed my wish, and you changed me."

She wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Don't you think we should bury him first?" Naruto asked, glancing at Mao's corpse. "Or see if Lelouch rescued Kallen?"

"Shut up and just kiss me." C.C. said as she slammed her lips into Naruto's.

Xxx

"Kallen?" Lelouch called out as he ran into the dark room.

"Lelouch?" Kallen looked up, seeing the boy in his street clothes as he came over the chair she was bound to and worked on undoing her cuffs.

"Are you all?" Lelouch asked.

"Ye-Yeah. I'm fine." Kallen slowly answered. "What's happening? There's this guy, he's got a Geass and I think he can read minds."

"He can. According to Naruto he was one of C.C.'s previous contractor who gained a Geass that could read minds but he went crazy because he lost control." Lelouch explained as he undid Kallen's cuffs, releasing her hands. "He's been looking for her all this time and when he read your mind he must have found out about her."

"The guy's crazy. I think he's going to try and kill Naruto." With her hands free Kallen helped Lelouch undo the bindings on her feet.

"I'm sure they are both fine. Naruto and C.C. are both immune to Geass and they planned to make a distraction so I could get in and rescue you." Lelouch smirked as Kallen stood up. "Bet you never planned on being a damsel in distress."

"Laugh it up, Brit boy." Kallen scowled and as she laughed dryly. "We'll see how much of a damsel in distress I am when I get my hands on that freak."

As they talked Villetta let out a moan as she came back to the conscious world with a very painful headache.

"At the very least we know Mao didn't tell Cornelia or anyone else from the military about Zero and the Black Knights." Villetta stopped as she heard voices nearby.

"Yeah but the mind reading thing he had freaked me out." Kallen responded.

'Mind reading? That man could read minds?' Villetta questioned inside her mind. 'That might explain how he was able to give such a description of the Stadtfeld girl.'

"Understandable, after all the power to paralyze or command people to do anything would be seen as terrifying to anyone who believed such powers existed." Lelouch responded. "There are times even I wonder if I'm dreaming when I use my Geass. However we both know it's real along with Naruto and C.C.'s powers and Mao's Geass. Let's just Naruto and C.C. take of Mao, he's too dangerous to be left running around and I'll have to make sure there were no witnesses left."

Villetta had been listening in as she pretended to be still knocked out and what she was hearing was flabbergasting. The power to command people to do anything, the power to read minds, and the power to paralyze people? It sounded impossible but she now knew it was real and explained so much.

"What about her?" Kallen asked and Villetta realized the question was directed at her.

"We'll hold her until we find out what she knows. If she was holding you captive instead of turning you in it means she didn't have any proof about your connection to the Black Knights or my identity as Zero." Lelouch answered.

'Zero!' Villetta's eyes shot up and as she stood up, reaching for her gun.

However Kallen saw Villetta move and leapt at the older woman, fueled by her anger at being captured Kallen knocked the gun out of Villetta's hand and slammed her knee into the woman's face, knocking back into the wall. Villetta let out a cry as her head came into contact with the wall and she slid over, once again losing consciousness.

"Lights out." Kallen spat at the knocked out woman.

"She's the same woman from Shinjuku." Lelouch realized as he walked over and looked down at woman. "I used my Geass to command her to give me her Knightmare. She must have remembered enough to have suspicions."

"So that's how you got your hand on that Sutherland." Kallen commented, glancing at Lelouch for a second. "What should we do now?"

"Well, we can't kill her until we know for sure that she didn't tell anyone else about us. We'll have to keep her in a place the military won't locate and interrogate her when she wakes up." Lelouch said thoughtfully. "We can't take her to the factory or the mobile HQ as it's too risky. Do you know of any places where we can hold her?"

"A few places and we can ask the others to keep an eye on her." Kallen nodded as she took out her phone.

"Be careful. If you mention she might know who Zero is the others will get suspicious and try to find out." Lelouch quickly pointed out.

"I know. I'll just say she spotted me coming home and tried to attack me." Kallen replied as she dialed Ohgi's number. "As much as I don't want to lie to the others I know that some things should be kept secret…for now."

"Thank you." Lelouch said, knowing that Kallen was uncomfortable for lying to her friends. "I'll go see if Naruto and C.C. have handled Mao."

Just as he turned to the door Kallen suddenly stopped him. "Lelouch?"

"Hm?" Lelouch glanced over his shoulder.

"Thanks…For coming to rescue me." Kallen said, grateful that Lelouch came to save her even though she hated the fact that she had needed to be saved.

"You're welcome, Kallen. We're in this together, don't you forget." Lelouch said as he walked out of the room.

"Right…" Kallen whispered before turning back to her cell phone and hearing Ohgi answer on the other end. "Hey, Ohgi? I need some help…"

Xxx

When Ohgi heard that his best friend's little sister had been attacked by someone from the military who suspected her of being connected to the Black Knights he rushed over to where she was the instant she told him. She had told him the woman had attempted to interrogate her over Zero's true identity but she broke free and overpowered the woman. She contacted Zero who said to hold the woman somewhere until they learned how much she knew about the Black Knights as it couldn't have been mere coincidence that she suspected Kallen was a member of the Black Knights.

"Are you sure?" Ohgi looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms.

"We can't kill her and not risk someone else knowing what she knows. We need to know what she knows." Kallen said, mirroring what Lelouch said. "What happens if someone goes after you or the others because you're suddenly suspected of working with the Black Knights?"

"Hard to argue with that." Ohgi relented with a sigh and looked at the woman's bruised face.

Kallen really went all out on this poor woman, even if it was in self defense.

"I better go now. I have school tomorrow and I need all the sleep I can get." Kallen sighed. "See ya Ohgi."

"Yeah, see ya." Ohgi nodded as Kallen walked off.

Ohgi looked back down at the girl with a sigh. He really didn't know what he should do other then find a place to hide this woman but he hoped he didn't take any drastic measures to make sure she didn't cause any trouble.

"Zero…"

Ohgi stopped upon hearing the woman whisper the name of the Black Knight's leader. It could mean almost anything but if this woman knew anything about Zero he had to keep her hidden and make sure no one in the military found out. He trusted Zero with his life, after all the man was their one hope in liberating Japan. Of course there was a part of Ohgi that wanted to know what this woman knew about Zero and possibly his two knights. The masked vigilante seemed to know Taizo Kirihara and yet he confessed he was not Japanese which raised a lot of questions in Ohgi's mind.

He shook his head. 'I'm doing this to keep Zero's identity safe and nothing else…' He tried to ignore the voice in his head whispering 'Yeah, right.'

Xxx

As Kallen made it onto the sidewalk she was greeted with the surprising sight of the three top leaders of the Black Knights. "You guys are still here?"

"Thought you'd need some company." Naruto answered with a smile. "You've had a bit of a long night."

Kallen sighed miserably as she walked with the other three on either side of her. "I'm fine…Just a little upset for being captured and how that freak was able to mess with me."

"It's all right. From what I heard that man was good at sneaking up on people and getting in their heads." Lelouch assured the red head.

"Who was he though? And why did he have a Geass?" Kallen looked at C.C. "Did you give him that?"

"I did many years ago. When I first met him he was an orphan that was hated by everyone who knew him so I took him in and watched over him. When he was yours and Lelouch's age I granted him Geass to fulfill my wish but he had grown to consider me his whole world and wanted me to himself. He used his Geass to torment people who lived nearby, believing them unworthy to walk the same Earth as me. Eventually he lost control of his Geass and I couldn't stay so I left." C.C. explained without a hint of emotion in her voice. "His reasons for kidnapping you, Kallen was to lure me out because he must have read your mind about…me and Naruto and used you as bait because we were close to Lelouch while you generally live by yourself, isolated from the others."

"And because of that the Black Knights were almost exposed." Kallen whispered as she hung her head.

"We dealt with him, Kallen. It's over now." Naruto reassured her.

"Yes. Besides, it's my fault this happened. I didn't believe Mao would find me as I am good at avoiding being found and that put you through all that pain. It wasn't my intention." C.C. stated.

Kallen shook her head. "No, it's my fault for being caught off guard. I didn't think I'd end up being attacked in my own house and that allowed him to get the drop on me."

"You're both wrong." Surprisingly it was Lelouch who spoke up. "The only one at fault here is Mao. It's not your fault, C.C. that he went insane or your fault Kallen that he managed to surprise you."

The others were surprised by Lelouch for a second before Naruto smirked. "Well, it seems our icy cold leader has a heart after all."

Lelouch scowled. "It's the truth and you know it, Naruto."

"Yeah, you're right, for once. Now can we go home now? Its way past bedtime and we got school in the morning, remember?" Naruto waved Lelouch off.

Xxx

Mao's body had been taken and buried in a forest by Naruto and C.C. when they were done. The final resting place of C.C.'s former contract was an unmarked grave near a waterfall that resembled the one he played in as a child. When all was said and done Naruto and C.C. went back to Ashford Academy once they paid their final respects. As the sun finally rose, shining down on the cliff someone wearing a dark coat stood over the grave and pulled his cell phone out.

"The subject has been located. Returning to base with subject's body."

An hour later Mao's body had been dug up and taken away in a black van to parts unknown.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

The morning of the next day came as a miserable start for Lelouch who barely had a few hours of sleep after helping Naruto and C.C. rescue Kallen from a mad Geass user in which where he suffered another nightmare of his mother's death and his and Nunnally's banishment that caused him to wake up, gasping for breath with sweat pouring down his face. Nevertheless when he saw Nunnally smiling as she greeted him he smiled back and set out to make breakfast while Sayoko helped Nunnally get dressed.

"Morning, Lelouch. Breakfast smells good." Nunnally said as Sayoko wheeled her into the living room where Lelouch had already set up breakfast.

"Glad to hear that." Lelouch smiled as he sat down. "I decided to make a full menu this morning and I'd hate to hear that something was wrong."

"Nothing you make is ever wrong, Big Brother." Nunnally said as she took a sip of orange juice. "You always make the best breakfast."

"That's best thing I like to hear in the morning." Lelouch said as he bit into a piece of bacon. "So how have you been at school? I heard you had an appointment with Miss Senju."

"Oh…Well…" Nunnally shifted in her chair for a second. "Miss Senju checked me over to see if my fever was gone and we talked a bit and..."

"And?" Lelouch softly prompted.

"Miss Senju believes she can heal my leg injuries." Nunnally finished.

Lelouch's eyes widened and he was almost completely frozen.

"Lelouch?" Nunnally asked when she saw the look on Lelouch's face. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm all right." Lelouch shook his head. "You say she can help you walk again?"

"She says it would take an operation and then I would have go through physical therapy to see if it was a success but…yes." Nunnally smiled as she nodded. "…And I want to try."

"You're going through with it?" Lelouch asked, surprised by Nunnally's boldness.

"I want to…but only if you're there with me." Nunnally finished with hope shining in her eyes.

Lelouch stared at Nunnally, seeing how hopeful she was and wanted to say yes but at the same time wondered what Mito and possibly Naruto and C.C. were up to this time. "Yeah. I'll be with you with entire time."

"Thank you, Big Brother!" The smile on Nunnally's face almost took away all uneasiness Lelouch felt that morning.

Of course the moment of happiness had to come to an end and it when they heard someone knocking at the door. Sayoko would have gone to answer but Lelouch decided to answer, believing it was Milly or Rivalz.

But when he opened the door it wasn't who he was expecting. "Kallen?"

"Hi." Kallen was already dressed in her Academy uniform. "Milly asked me to make sure you didn't skip school again with Naruto and...Tsunade."

"I see." Lelouch sighed, expecting Milly to pull a stunt like this. "Have you seen Naruto and Tsunade? I checked their room this morning but they were already gone."

"No I haven't." Kallen shook her head. "Maybe they're already at school."

"I guess." Lelouch shrugged. "It's hard to keep track of them even when they are at school or helping out. I'll be at class in a moment, just making sure Nunnally's all ready to go. Want to come in? We got bacon and eggs."

Kallen was surprised by the nice offer but shook her head. "No thanks, I had breakfast already and I can't be late."

"All right, I'll see ya this morning." Lelouch said, as he closed the door and Kallen nodded before turning and walking away.

Xxx

While Lelouch was getting ready for another day at school someone was else was starting their day with a major headache.

"Well, Nelly it seems the Black Knights are just as skilled as the rumors say." Nonette leaned back on the chair next to Cornelia's desk. "And Zero is not so bad himself."

Cornelia held back a scowl at that comment. After the defeat of herself and Suzaku at the harbour Zero had been labeled as an ace pilot who could handle a Gloucester piloted by the Goddess of Victory herself and a Sutherland with only a rip-off Glasgow while missing an arm. As if the rumors surrounding him and the Black Knights was not already bad enough. "Why are you here, Nonnette? Shouldn't you be doing something else? Where is your apprentice?"

"Like what, Nelly?" Nonnette pouted. "You don't like my company?"

Cornelia would have said yes but remembered who she was talking and quickly but her tongue.

"Aw, poor Nelly, all stressed because of Zero and his mean old Black Knights." Nonnette chuckled at the look Cornelia's face. "Anyways my little Rai's getting ready for school since Euphie insisted he get an education when he's not working and I can't say no when little Euphie get's all mother hen, just like her big sister. I can't wait to hear how his first day of schools goes. I wonder if he'll have one or more girls crushing on him. Kind of like…" That was when Nonnette trailed off with a solemn look on her face.

"Nonnette, please." Cornelia sighed, knowing who Nonnette was talking about. "It's too early for this. It's bad enough Zero got away and defeated us…_again_. If this keeps up it'll be a matter of time before the entire Area descends into chaos."

"Calm down, Nelly. We just underestimated them. In case you forgot you put up a better fight than before. The pilot of that red Knightmare surprised me but that one mistake will only make sure I'm prepared for her again." Nonnette said with a calm smile. "If you want to turn the tables on Zero so bad you need to stop being so predictable."

"Predictable?" Cornelia raised an eyebrow.

"The last times you encountered Zero it was during an operation where he took you by complete surprise. If you want to catch him by surprise you need to do what he's been doing, play along and make him think you're falling for his trap and then make him fall for you." Nonnette explained, grinning at the surprised look on Cornelia's face.

"That's…That's…" Cornelia stuttered a few times. "Actually the best idea I've heard since I arrived."

"See, there's a reason I'm a Knight of the Round." Nonnette chuckled.

It was true. Ever since she had arrived in Area Eleven she's been falling for Zero's tricks because he managed to see through her plans and take her by surprised. She needed a new strategy, a way to knock Zero off his game and trap him like he's almost done to her in their previous encounters. The question is how she could trap him?

She tried luring him out at Saitama but that backfired on her.

'If I want to trap Zero I need something that will guarantee he will appear.' Cornelia thought, her mind drawing up several ideas on what she could use to trap the most wanted terrorist in the Area.

Little did Cornelia know was that the opportunity would soon drop onto her lap.

Xxx

"A medical check up?" Suzaku asked as he slipped his school uniform on.

The repairs to the Lancelot were almost complete and the two new Knightmares, the Frontier and the Vincent were almost finished as well.

"Just regulations." Cecile assured him. "It's required for all Knightmare pilots."

"I understand." Suzaku finished the last button.

"Good. Tomorrow then, after your school gets out." Cecile said as Suzaku walked down the ramp.

"Thanks. Oh and Cecile, is there any way I can get to see Princess Euphemia?" Suzaku asked.

"Huh?" Cecile looked confused. "You want to meet her?"

"Forget it. You have to at least be a Knight of Honor to get an audience with her." Lloyd spoke up, hearing them talk.

"But an Earl could arrange it if he really wanted to." Cecile said, turning to face Lloyd.

"Oh me?" Lloyd looked up, feigning confusion.

"Yes." Cecile said with a slightly raised voice.

Suzaku blinked for a second before realizing what Cecile said. "Lloyd, you're an Earl?! You never told me that!"

Lloyd laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Oh I am so embarrassed."

"The prodigal son of nobles." Cecile smiled as she looked back at Suzaku. "He can't really separate work from play."

"Wow." Suzaku muttered.

Lloyd seemed to be in a good mood today even though no one could tell that because he was always smiling unless someone did something to his precious Lancelot.

The reason why was simple. The fact that the Lancelot Club had come back with plenty of interesting data that would come in handy as he began putting the finishing touches on his Vincent and Frontier and he even got additional funding to repair his Lancelot since the nobles were all screaming for Zero to be caught and since he had three dangerous Knightmares they turned to the one man who could make the Knightmares that would bring him down. Sure, the blue Knightmare had buried, damaged, and nearly destroyed his precious Lancelot but at the same time it made him determined to make his creations as strong as Zero's Knightmares and with the nobles screaming for blood he was getting more funds. This made all the grief of his Lancelot suffering almost worth it as he studied up on what to improve and neat little ideas to make his toys all the more dangerous.

So in the end Zero was an okay guy in Lloyd's book.

'So much to do, so little time.' Lloyd thought as he looked over the recordings of the three Knightmares that had given Cornelia so much trouble. 'The red one screams Rakshata because of her Radiant Wave Surger but I still don't know how she managed to improve MVS technology but even managed to create a new version that conducts electricity. I don't how she pulled off something like that but she showed it is possible and if my creations are to stand a chance I'll need to recalibrate the Blaze Luminous on all of them.'

He was already at work on designing a shield with a built in Blaze Luminous for the Frontier, mimicking those shields that the black armored Knightmares the Black Knights had used at Narita but the Blaze Luminous was Lloyd's idea to improve on the shield idea. It was pretty good idea and even if the shield was damaged it wouldn't affect the Frontier like the Lancelot when it fought the blue Knightmare. The VARIS rifle the Frontier had would make for a mid to long range combat but that was fine, the Vincent would make up for that. The Vincent was designed for mid to close range combat with its MVS weapons shaped more like spears than swords and it had a new feature that the Lancelot did not have: Electric Needle Blazers.

Instead of Blaze Luminous emitters the Vincent was armed with Needle Blazers on the elbows that would fire short ranged bursts of energy that are meant to take out enemy cockpits, piercing their armor and eliminating enemy Knightmares from the fight. Lloyd modified what he had done to create the Blaze Luminous but made them for offense instead of defense. This was done so because the Knightmares Zero's aces had all shown that they could block or counter the VARIS rifle so in order to take away that advantage they needed a weapon that couldn't be blocked. The Needle Blazers may not have the range the VARIS had but energy as far as Lloyd knew could not be blocked and even if Rakshata's radiant wave technology did improve the Needle Blazers would take a toll on any Knightmares trying to block.

'Well, Rakshata, we'll see how your Knightmares fare against my new and improved creations in the next fight.' Lloyd grinned eagerly.

There was no way he was going to let Rakshata show him up again. The only downside was that he had been unable to mimic the energy that had disabled the Lancelot because it was unlike anything he or Cecile had seen before. He analyzed the energy from the Lancelot's systems to see if it could duplicated and saw that it had a violent effect when in contact with Sakuradite. Actually that was a bit of an understatement as the Sakuradite and the strange energy tried to repel each other which caused the overload.

'Just what did Rakshata create?' Lloyd wondered as he looked scanning results again. 'This is not like any kind of energy I've ever seen before.'

Xxx

"You coming or what?" Suzaku asked with a friendly smile as he stood at the gates to Ashford Academy.

Rai was dressed in the Ashford school uniform and stood a few feet back, staring at the school before Suzaku's voice woke him up. "Huh? Oh, sorry."

"Can't afford to be late on your first day of school." Suzaku remarked amusedly.

The short time he spent with Rai showed Suzaku that Rai was a quiet boy outside of a Knightmare cockpit but was friendly. He had no last name and when he tried to strike up a conversation with Rai he learned that his fellow pilot didn't talk about his past very much. He didn't seem traumatized or upset when he answered, he just seemed like…He just didn't know.

Rai was a skilled pilot, perhaps even better than Suzaku as he lost two out of three times when they spared on the Knightmare simulators.

"Don't worry. I'll introduce to my friends and I know they'll like you." Suzaku said reassuringly as he led Rai through the gate.

Xxx

Naruto was looking forward to a nice and quiet day after the battle at the harbor and the situation with Mao but it seemed he was still Fate's plaything when he noticed the silver haired boy follow Suzaku into the class room and the red sigil in his left eye even though it was not active.

'You've got to be kidding me. How can he show up here of all places?' Naruto wondered.

'**It's just your life, kit.**' Kurama snickered.

In the meantime C.C. looked at the boy as he introduced himself to the class.

"Hello, my name is Rai and nice to meet you all." Rai said with a small smile before walking to a seat offered to him by Suzaku.

'Rai…He doesn't look like a member of the Geass Directorate.' C.C. thought as her eyes spotted the inactive Geass like Naruto's.

Xxx

"So Suzaku, tell us of your new friend." Milly said with an eager grin once everyone was assembled.

Class was over quickly but Suzaku and Rai had no time to enjoy their short break as they were pulled into the Student Council room for an emergency meeting.

"Oh, he's a…" Suzaku trailed off while everyone looked interested in what he would say.

"I work is Suzaku at the Engineering Corps." Rai suddenly answered. "I just transferred here from the Homeland and our superiors decided I should attend school with Suzaku."

"Really? You must be really skilled then. What's your specialty?" Milly asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Running Knightmare simulations and inputting experimental data." Rai answered, not flinching from Milly's smirk.

'Smooth. He's not even feeling any pressure. He's mixing the truth with deception.' Naruto thought and wondered if anyone would disbelieve it.

Milly seems too eager to interrogate the new guy, maybe she suspects something. Maybe she even suspected Suzaku was hiding more than he let on as well. The girl had a love for the unknown and she proved to be keen that almost everyone forgot because of her mischievous nature.

"Well, since you're a close friend of Suzaku as the President of Student Council I hereby welcome you to Ashford Academy and offer you a spot on the Student Council!" Milly announced with a big smile. "I'm Milly. This is Rivalz."

"Hi there!" Rivalz waved happily.

"The orange haired girl is Shirley."

"Pleased to meet you." Shirley said politely.

"The black haired pretty boy is Lelouch."

Lelouch nodded. "Welcome to Ashford."

"The blond haired fox is Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto smiled friendly. "Nice to meet you."

"The green haired girl next to him is Tsunade Senju."

C.C. glanced at Rai with a blank look and only nodded.

"The girl with the glasses is Nina."

"Hello." Nina said nervously before looking back at her laptop.

"Then there's Kallen."

"Hello." Kallen said, reverting to her sickly self.

"And lastly the little girl here is Nunnally."

"Pleased to meet you, Rai." Nunnally smiled friendly.

"FYI, Nunnally is Lelouch's little sister so be nice or you're in big trouble." Milly whispered with a evil smile.

"Hi, I'm Rai..." Rai rubbed the back of his head, not used to all the attention directed at him.

Xxx

Lelouch twirled the black king chess piece in his hand as C.C. sat behind him, holding her Cheese-kun doll, not really interesting in socializing with Rai like Naruto was.

"He's the pilot of the Club isn't he?" Lelouch asked, unable to remain silent anymore.

"…Possibly." C.C. answered.

Lelouch sighed, wondering why he bothered. At least Naruto was more honest and could convince C.C. not to play around like this. "If so then he has a Geass."

"Does that make him a threat?" C.C. asked rhetorically.

"If he's a member of the Geass order and sent here it could mean that they suspect you are here and if he's recognized you he'll inform his superiors." Lelouch said, trying to convince her to talk.

"You don't know if he is an enemy yet. All you know that he is possibly a pilot and a Geass user. That doesn't make him an enemy." C.C. said, deciding to humor Lelouch.

"It doesn't make him an ally either." Lelouch retorted.

"So he can still be either: a friend to you or an enemy who seeks your death." C.C. shrugged.

"So unless he figures out my other identity he's not a threat?" Lelouch surmised.

"That's one way to put. Why not see if he's as loyal as Suzaku?" C.C. lied back on the couch. "You're making this more complicated than it is."

"Hmph." Lelouch frowned. "Just how does Naruto put up with you?"

"I have my methods of persuasion." C.C. simply said.

'Yeah, persuasion.' Lelouch retorted in his head.

Xxx

Kallen found herself some free time because it was currently time for the PF course and she couldn't take because of her 'poor health' so she was left with time to check on something. While she had grown use to speaking with Zero and his Knights while 'off' duty she was still curious about just who she was working with.

_"You have no idea why he's fighting Britannia and yet you follow him? Are you sure he's not using you for his own agenda? How can you trust him if he keeps all his secrets hidden? Or what his hidden agendas are?" Mao stopped laughing and looked down at the shocked look on Kallen's face. "He didn't even choose to show his face, his knights made if for him and yet you still follow him. So why would you follow a Britannia and not ask why? Don't you want to know? Or maybe he's managed to trick with his fancy speeches or maybe he even lied about his Geass and he's using it to control you even now!"_

Mao's words rang in her head even though they managed to gain her trust a bit since they've managed to strike several blows against Britannia and saved her life from a mad Geass user but she still wanted to quench her thirst for answers. While Lelouch said he would tell her eventually she couldn't shake the curiosity so she decided to look for answers in an indirect way. So that was why she was in the library at one of the computers, to get some answers. She brought up the search engine and typed in the name 'Lamperouge.'

It was a long shot but if the Lamperouge was a noble family there was about to be a few articles on them. That turned out to be true as several articles came up but there were not what she expected.

**COMMONER MARIANNE LAMPEROUGE PROMOTED TO KNIGHT OF THE ROUND**

'A Knight of the Round?' Kallen thought as she clicked on the icon.

**Marianne Lamperouge, born a commoner that joined the military has shocked Britannia as she is made Knight of Two for defeating Bismark Waldstein, Knight of One and right hand of the Emperor himself. Never before has a commoner been given such an honor and Emperor Charles zi Britannia has personally praised her skills for piloting the third Generation Knightmare the Ganymede to such an extent that she has earned the title 'Flash'. Despite her status as a commoner called into question by several noble familiar Marianna Lamperouge has been praised as an icon of Britannia's strength and potential expected in all of its citizens and has become a role model to many commoners that have spoken of following her footsteps.**

'Lamperouge?' Kallen looked at the picture of the woman on the article and had to admit she was beautiful and there was something about her that was familiar. 'Her skin, it's as pale as Lelouch's. Is this his mother?'

She skimmed down the bottom and saw several more articles but one caught her eye.

**MARIANNA LAMPEROUGE BECOMES FIFTH CONSORT TO THE EMPEROR OF THE HOLY EMPIRE OF BRITANNIA**

'She became a consort?' Kallen thought with widened eyes as she clicked on the title.

**Emperor Charles zi Britannia shocked all of Britannia by taking Knight of Two Marianne Lamperouge as a consort, becoming the fifth wife and taking the name Marianna vi Britannia, making her the first commoner to be granted title of Empress. Many nobles have expressed shock and outrage that a commoner is granted such a great honor as it is tradition that those born of noble families are offered the title of Empress Consort but yet the Emperor has praised Marianne's skills and some even suggest he favors her above the other Empresses. Though his decision is questioned no one has spoke out against this for speaking against the Emperor for any decision he makes would be considered an act of treason that would lead to execution and no doubt the dishonor of the family of whoever would be foolish enough to speak out against our ruler.**

'When does a commoner become Empress Consort?' Kallen wondered as she looked at the title of the next article.

**LADY MARIANNE GIVES BIRTH TO HER FIRST CHILD**

Kallen clicked on the article, wondering if the child was who she was thinking of.

**It is a celebration in Britannia as another child of the Emperor is born, even though various nobles and royals have called his status in question for being the son of a commoner. The child was confirmed to be a boy, making him the eleventh prince and the seventeenth in line for the throne. While the woman and her son have been moved to keep them save the Emperor has announced the name of the newborn son…**

Kallen's eyes widened when she read the name. "Lelouch vi Britannia."

That name stuck with her and she was stunned in complete silence as she considered the chance that the same Lelouch she was working with was possibly a Prince of Britannia. Her eyes glazed over the next article.

**LADY MARIANNE ASSASSINATED AT HER VILLA**

'Assassinated?' Kallen thought as she clicked on the title.

**All of Britannia was shocked as one of the Emperor's consorts was gunned down at her villa by terrorists that not only took her life but also crippled her second born child and daughter: Nunnally vi Britannia.**

'Nunnally?! That's right! She's Lelouch's sister.' Kallen realized as she kept on reading. 'They both have the same first names! This is not a coincidence, they must be the same.'

**The youngest daughter was diagnosed with injuries her spine that left her physically crippled and doctors confirmed she had been become blind because of the trauma of witnessing her mother's death while Prince Lelouch was unharmed due to him not being present when the attack occurred. The investigation was called off by the Emperor without identifying the terrorists that were responsible for the attack.**

'The Emperor called off the investigation? Why would he do that? An attack like that in the center of the Empire should have had him screaming for blood.' Kallen thought as she knew how prideful Britannians were. She even had more questions when she saw the next article.

**YOUNG PRINCE AND PRINCESS SENT TO JAPAN AS PART OF PEACE TREATY WITH BRITANNIA**

'Peace treaty?' Kallen wondered as she read the article.

**It has been confirmed that the children of the late Lady Marianne vi Britannia have been sent to Japan as part of a peace negotiation with the Japanese government over the large amounts of Sakuradite in Japan. Though many wonder why a negotiator was not sent it speculated that the Japanese would be more open to discussion with two members of royalty staying at the home of Prime Minister Kururugi.**

'Prime Minister Kururugi? That's right. Genbu Kururugi was the Prime Minister of Japan when Britannia invaded.' Kallen realized. 'And that must be how Lelouch knows Suzaku, they knew each other because they met when he and Nunnally came here. But why send a boy with a crippled and blind little girl unless…' Kallen's eyes widened. 'Hostages! They weren't sent here as part of peace treaty, they were sent here as political hostages!'

She then looked at the final article.

**BRITANNIA INVADES JAPAN: ROYAL SIBLINGS PRESUMED DEAD**

**It is a sad day as the Empire mourns the deaths of two members of Royalty, the children of Lady Marianne who have been rumored to be executed by the Japanese once they learned of the invasion. Britannian soldiers located the Kururugi Shrine but found no sign of His or Her Highness. They are presumed killed by the Japanese as revenge for the invasion and their bodies lost in the fires of war. The Empire will surely see that justice is brought down on the Japanese for their cowardice actions once their land has been conquered.**

'Except the Japanese didn't kill them, did they?' Kallen narrowed her eyes. 'They faked their deaths and have been hiding out here all this time haven't they?'

But that still didn't explain fully why Lelouch was leading a rebellion even if it somewhat made sense. Their mother was killed, his sister blind and crippled even though she had been cured of her blindness, and exiled to a foreign land to be hostages but that didn't answer all her questions. Why would two children, especially children of Royalty be sent as hostages when Britannia invaded just a few months later? Nunnally obviously had no clue to what her brother was doing but from what Kallen had read and the way Lelouch was acting he seemed to have an even bigger grudge against Britannia than she or the Japanese had.

Is that why he became Zero? To exact revenge on Britannia for abandoning him and his sister and were the Black Knights his tools of revenge?

Xxx

School had gone by pretty quick for a few students but that was okay because they still had lots of work to do. Naruto and C.C. were gone somewhere, no doubt out in the city with Lelouch's card again so Kallen gave Lelouch a signal and he understood. He pointed up and Kallen knew he was giving her a signal for them to meet on the roof. The roof was one of the designated places where they would meet up and speak about Black Knight business without worrying of someone overhearing them because they didn't speak for long.

"You need to talk about something, Kallen?" Lelouch asked as Kallen stood against the railing next to him.

"It's about last night." Kallen stated.

"About what happened with Mao or on the docks?" Lelouch asked.

"Both…actually." Kallen admitted. "At the docks, I know we won but…"

"I know. It was a disaster. We won the battle but that's about it. The enemy has two ace pilots, one of them piloting a new Knightmare frame and happens to be a Geass user as well. Considering you faced the Gloucester that was piloted by a Knight of the Round and managed to survive that shows how skilled you are." Lelouch remarked with a small smile.

"I didn't win by skill, I used my Geass." Kallen replied, sounding ashamed at having to rely on her Geass to win instead of her skills. "I know you rely on your Geass to help but I prefer to win without relying on mine. It's like…relying on it too much and I'm afraid I'll be helpless without it and then there's Mao…"

"I know. C.C. already explained to me the side effects of Geass but she says that Naruto wouldn't have given us Geass without making sure to take precautions. If we begin to lose control Naruto says he'll seal our Geass with his eyes." Lelouch said, understanding Kallen's concern. "I haven't asked but I know Naruto is the type of person who wants to make sure his comrades don't lose control and become a danger to people."

"Yeah…He's like that with the others." Kallen admitted, remembering Naruto's interactions with the others. "No offense Lelouch but sometimes I wonder why Naruto is not a general or some kind of leader in the Black Knights. He's more than capable."

"Really? He said the same thing about you." Lelouch remarked slyly, smirking at the surprised look on Kallen's face.

"Me?" Kallen questioned, unable to believe what she had heard. "Why would he think that? I'm not a strategist like you or him and I've never been a commander. I'm better off piloting the Guren on the front lines then staying back to direct everyone."

"To be honest I think he's making it a point to make sure that the Black Knights don't fall if something were to happen to Zero. While he or C.C. have proven to be adequate commanders in their own right they seem more or less happy as fighters while training or making commanders for the Black Knights." Lelouch surmised. "At the very least they are capable along with you as we'll need all the skill we can get with our new enemies and the other Geass user. I would have been a goner if not for the fact that Naruto was immune to Rolo's Geass but on the bright side it feeds the rumors of Zero not only being incredible strategist but also an ace pilot who took down Suzaku who is unnamed in the articles and Cornelia herself." Lelouch grinned a bit during the last sentence.

"It's an annoying ability though. I thought I was dead a few times when I was fighting against that knight." Kallen grimaced. "We might get more enemies than we can handle if we don't get some help soon."

"You're right." Lelouch frowned and looked over the courtyard. "I considered the possibility of asking Kyoto to ask Todoh and the Four Holy Swords to join us or at least ally with us but I've received no word of them since Narita other than the fact that they lost their Burais escaping the Royal Guard. With the destruction of the JLF they've more than likely they've gone into hiding and are simply waiting to make another move."

Kallen was frustrated by that as she was hoping that the Todoh, icon of hope for the Japanese people would join up with the Black Knights. "Is there any chance they'll join us? If we had Todoh with us we'd have a better chance of defeating Britannia."

"There is a chance but the longer we wait the less of a chance that they'll actually join and despite Todoh's fame and skill we can't wait for him. We have plans to carry out, especially in light of these recent developments." Lelouch replied, slightly wondering if Todoh and the Four Holy Swords had been injured or killed and Kyoto was keeping quiet. "On the bright side it seems Rakshata is coming to Japan to officially join the Black Knights."

"Really? That's great." Kallen smiled, happy to hear some good news. "We can use her help, especially after she made Naruto and C.C.'s Knightmares and the Guren."

"Yes." Lelouch nodded in agreement. "At the very least Rakshata can use the Ashford's resources to produce Knightmares. It'll make liberating Japan much easier."

Kallen was silent as she thought over of what Lelouch had said. "Lelouch."

"Hm?" Lelouch looked at the red haired girl.

"I know you don't want to tell me why you're rebelling against Britannia but are you really fighting to give us back Japan?" Kallen asked.

Lelouch was silent as he thought over the answer. "Yes I am. I'll admit I have my own plans for Britannia in the future but in order for them to succeed I need people to help me realize Britannia is not unstoppable. You could say I'm doing this for revenge, you could say I am using you. As I told Naruto I will not pretend to be a saint but I will be honest when I say I want the Japanese to get their land back, especially since I somewhat owe them for looking after me and my sister during the first few months we stayed here."

Kallen was silent for a moment. "That's good enough…for now. Just know, Lelouch, that if you do anything behind my back that endangers me or the others…" She pulled out her switchblade as she got up close to Lelouch, staring him in the eyes as she held her blade at his neck. "It'll be the last thing you ever do."

Lelouch nodded, not bothered by the knife at his neck. "I understand."

"Glad you do," Kallen smirked darkly. "You're Highness."

Lelouch's eyes widened. "What…What did you say?"

"It's been a while since you've been called that huh, Lelouch vi Britannia?" Kallen continued, still holding the knife at Lelouch's throat. "It's starting to make sense now a bit. I did some research when I heard from Taizo Kirihara you had been brought here as a hostage with Nunnally. I typed your last name and what do I get? The maiden name of the Emperor's fifth wife, Marianne vi Britannia and the names of her two children, Lelouch and Nunnally vi Britannia."

Lelouch's skin become pale white and his eyes threatened to fall out.

"It's true isn't it? Your mother was killed and you two were shipped here as hostages. My question is why? And why did you two fake your deaths?" Kallen questioned, pushing her knife forward a bit.

"…Because I questioned the Emperor when he call off the investigation into my mother's death and gave up my claim to the throne when he revealed he didn't care." Lelouch answered after a moment of silence.

"What?" Kallen asked, her eyes widening slightly.

"I insulted him because I stood up to him and for that he exiled me and Nunnally to this country, not caring if we died." Lelouch glared at Kallen, making her falter slightly from the pure rage and hatred in his eyes. "He called me a walking corpse in front of everyone and said my sister was a weakling because her condition so he discarded us and left us to rot as he invaded Japan." Lelouch's glare became even fiercer, his eyes looking like they were burning with violet flames. "And when we had our chance we faked our deaths because I knew if we were sent back he would manipulate us again. He'd use Nunnally to make me do his bidding and possibly marry her off to some noble, not caring how she is treated. Now do you understand?" Lelouch leaned forward, not caring if the knife was now touching his skin. "Do you understand why I fight against Britannia now? It's because I know our future will always be in danger because of that _man_ and because I want my sister to have a future where she can live a happy life. Is that good enough for you, Kallen or are you going to kill me here and now before exposing me?"

Kallen was silent in shock as that had not been the answer she had been expecting. She considered the chance that Lelouch wanted revenge and the chance to take the throne but what Lelouch had said was too real to be a lie. Does this mean she was wrong? Perhaps Mao was messing with her…

Of course Mao was messing with her!

The guy got inside her head and played with her insecurities to turn her against Lelouch and Naruto to get to C.C. and she fell for it.

Shirley had been coming up to find Lelouch and Kallen because Milly was calling meeting of the Student Council. She knew that Lelouch liked to spend his time on the roof and so she went up to find him. Just as she came to the door she gasped as she saw Lelouch and Kallen close together, close enough that they looked like they were going to…

"LULU!"

Lelouch and Kallen jumped back when they heard Shirley's voice and Kallen quickly put her blade away and prayed Shirley didn't see it.

"Shirley?" Lelouch asked, making sure that the orange haired girl didn't see anything suspicious. "What are you-"

"I came looking for you because Madam President called a meeting. What you are doing?" Shirley pointed at Kallen. "Are you and Kallen having a secret affair?!"

"WHAT?!" Kallen gasped from the crazy accusation. "It's not like that!"

"I saw you two about to kiss!" Shirley said accusingly.

"I was just helping Kallen stand up because she said she wanted some fresh air and I brought her up here because there is a good view of the courtyard up here but she got a little light headed and almost fell over." Lelouch quickly explained while still looking calm and rational.

"Is…Is this true?" Shirley looked at Kallen who nodded hastily.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't think what would happen from being so high up." Kallen said, rubbing her head to emphasis what Lelouch was saying.

"Anyways, what does Milly want?" Lelouch asked, trying to steer the conversation away.

"Uh…I'm not sure. She just called a meeting." Shirley said awkwardly, still thinking there was something going on.

"Well, better go see what she wants." Lelouch said resignedly not looking at Kallen who nodded as she followed Lelouch towards the door.

Shirley looked uneasily at Kallen but followed them off the roof and to the clubhouse where everyone was waiting. Once they arrived they were greeted with the Student Council waiting for them but also they had Nunnally and Mito Senju as well.

"Nunnally?" Lelouch asked when he saw his little sister waiting for him.

"Hello Lelouch." Nunnally smiled which made Lelouch smile back.

"Ah, there you all are." Milly said cheerfully once everyone was assembled. "Now the subject of this meeting…Nunnally's operation!"

"Huh?!" Lelouch's eyes widened. "You-You know!?"

"I told her, Lelouch." Nunnally said like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Yes, she told me that Tsunade's mother, Mrs. Senju has come up with a way to help Nunnally walk again!" Milly announced, surprising anyone who didn't know.

"Really?" Shirley and Rivalz asked at the same time.

Kallen stared at Nunnally with a shocked look but turned into a small smile at how happy Nunnally looked.

"And now we're going to throw a festival for her _and_ Arthur and Matatabi!" Milly said as she held up Arthur who meowed in protest. "Say, where is Matatabi?"

"I'm sure she's around. She wanders off when she feels like it but she always come back." Naruto answered simply.

"Well, let's hope she's around when we throw the greatest festival ever even if Mrs. Senju says there's no need for a lot of money to cover the operation." Milly grinned eagerly.

"What are we going to do?" Shirley asked.

"We're going to make…the WORLD'S LARGEST PIZZA!" Milly declared.

C.C.'s eyes shot up and Naruto sighed when he saw the look in her eyes.

"We're doing what?" Lelouch's eyebrow twitched.

"We're making the world's largest pizza. With our news mascots and word of Nunnally's operation we'll get lots of people coming and when they see the giant pizza we'll go down in history as the ones who made it!" Milly giggled madly.

"And where will we get the resources to pull this off?" Lelouch asked rhetorically because he knew nothing would change Milly's mind.

Shirley would agree with him if he didn't want to but Rivalz would do anything Milly said, even jumping off the roof naked while singing 'I Believe I Can Fly' and Nina would just stay at her laptop. And from the look on C.C.'s face she was all for it while Naruto could only roll his eyes, possibly in agreement with Lelouch. Kallen had to keep up her sickly act so she would just agree with Milly all the while thinking the idea was ridiculous while Nunnally would just go along with it because she thought it would be fun.

"That is where you come in, Lelouch." Milly grinned at the Vice-President. "You're in charge of setting up the events after all."

"Fine but I accept under the condition I do not have to engage in anything humiliating." Lelouch said with a resigned look.

"Drats!" Milly snapped her fingers. "I had the idea for a Lulu-Kissing Booth to attract lots of customers and possibly a Naru one as well."

"Say what?!" Naruto's eyes widened in shock while C.C. smirked at her boyfriend. "Seriously?"

"What can I say? People like those whisker marks on your face." Milly reached over and grabbed Naruto's cheeks. "So much like a cat's whiskers or maybe a fox's. How can anyone resist them? And Tsunade already gave me her blessings."

"Say what?!" Naruto looked at C.C. "What did she promise you? Did she bribe you with a truck load of pizza?"

"How'd you guess?" C.C. innocently asked.

"Now that Madam President is done can we move on. I do have to prepare for Nunnally's operation that will be in a few days." Mito said, smiling in amusement at the antics of the Student Council.

Xxx

Kaname Ohgi didn't like Britannians as much as the next Japanese but he had some concerns about imprisoning a woman who had been injured even though she tried to abduct Kallen to lure Zero into a trap. She would have been locked up but for some reason when Ohgi heard her mutter Zero's name he brought to his apartment instead, bandaging her wounded head and letting her sleep on the bed.

'What have I gotten myself into?' Ohgi wondered as he watched the woman with a gun in hand.

She had been out for a few days, it was obvious that Kallen had done a number on her.

"Uhh…." The woman sleepily groaned.

"Are you waking up now?" Ohgi asked, keeping a close grip on his pistol.

The woman slowly opened her eyes and looked at Ohgi. "Y-Yes."

"What you were doing with that red haired girl?" Ohgi asked with a scowl, not forgetting that this woman held his best friend's sister hostage to get Zero. "What's your name?"

"I-uh…." The woman looked confused and tired despite how long she was asleep. "My name is…."

"Uh?" Ohgi wondered what was wrong with her.

"What is my name?" The woman asked, looking up at the ceiling.

"You don't remember?" Ohgi could barely believe what he was hearing, thinking it was a trick. "What do you know about Zero? You were talking about him before."

"Who's Zero?" The woman looked back at Ohgi.

Ohgi groaned as he buried his face in his hand, his grip on his pistol beginning to tremble. "What am I doing? I practically betrayed him and why?"

"But I don't know anything!" The woman protested as she sat up, quickly covering herself to protect her modesty. "Nothing at all."

"Sorry." Ohgi now looked guilty as he turned away. "I was able to undress you with my eyes closed but putting your clothes back on was…I turned up the heat so I thought you'd be all right."

The woman glanced at Ohgi before smiling. "Thank goodness."

"Huh?" Ohgi looked at the woman.

"Anyone could have picked me up out there but I got someone nice." The woman answered happily.

Ohgi could only stare at the woman and wonder what he had gotten himself involved in.

Xxx

"The rest results came out fine, though you seem to pay extreme attention to discipline and weighing the value of human life." The doctor said, looking at the results of Suzaku's test on her computer screen.

"Is that going to cause problems?" Suzaku asked, slightly concerned.

"These are positive traits for a soldier. However subconsciously do you think your comparing yourself to your father?" The doctor asked.

Suzaku and Cecile gasped.

"That may be the underlying cause of your insecurity." The doctor stated professionally. "It's quite common in the children of famous people. Your father Genbu Kururugi, the former Prime Minister of Japan. He was a great man."

Suzaku could only stay silent as he listened to the doctor's words. As they spoke no one noticed the small butterfly hanging on the wall.

Xxx

"Urabe and the others are late." Chiba stated as Todoh and Shogo stood before the large gravestone under a tree.

"Well this sure is an ironic meeting place, isn't it? The grave of Prime Minister Kururugi." Shogo noted.

"The traitor who told us to fight to the end and then committed suicide himself." Chiba remarked bitterly.

"Enough." Todoh stated. "This man was a true patriot and deserves a proper resting place."

The three of them had no idea they were being watched through a scope. "Fugitive Todoh identified. All units prepare to move in."

Xxx

"Hey." When Naruto and C.C. left Mito's office they turned around, hearing Kallen's voice and saw her walking up to the pair. "Have you guys seen Lelouch?"

"He's speaking to our resident Britannian about setting up the command structure of the Black Knights." Naruto answered with shrug. "You wanted to talk to him."

"Yeah it's about…" Kallen trailed off. "Can we talk somewhere else?"

"Sure." Naruto put a hand on both girls' shoulders and they vanished in a flash of yellow light.

Xxx

When Kallen opened her eyes again she saw she was in the mobile headquarters with no one else there.

"This good enough?" C.C. asked as she sat down on a couch.

"Let me guess, it's about whatever it was you two were talking about on the roof." Naruto looked serious. "I could sense a great amount of negative emotions from Lelouch when he was coming down. What was that about?"

"I was looking into the Lamperouge family because…I wanted to know more about Lelouch and I…" Kallen looked to the side. "I…"

"So you know." C.C. guessed easily. "The Lamperouge name was well known throughout the Empire since it is the maiden name of the fifth Empress."

"So you knew?" Kallen looked at them with widened eyes.

"I've known about Lelouch since the day he was born." C.C. answered simply. "Naruto first met him at Shinjuku."

"Is that what this is about? You went to Lelouch and told him what you found out?" Naruto asked.

"I did and…" Kallen sighed. "I got a little excited because I thought he might have been using me…like Mao suggested. He just…"

"Got inside your head." Naruto sighed. "So you know the _whole_ truth?"

"I got the gist of it. Their mother was killed and they got sent here as hostages who were then later caught up in the invasion. Then when I called him out on it he got mad, I'm not sure if he was angry about remembering it or because I found out what he was trying to keep secret." Kallen explained, remembering the look in Lelouch's eyes.

"Impressive work, Queeny." C.C. smirked. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"But what will Lelouch do?" Kallen asked, not understanding why they weren't angry with her about going behind their leader's back.

"There's nothing he can do. You were bound to find out sooner or later. Lelouch won't try anything, especially since you're immune to his Geass now but he's not worried about himself." Naruto said reassuringly.

"No…It's Nunnally he's worried about isn't it?" Kallen knew how much Lelouch loved his little sister. To be honest it made Kallen think of her own brother and what it was like growing up with him looking after her.

"Give him some space before you bring it up again. He needs to cool off and we need cooler heads for keeping appearances in the Black Knights." Naruto stated.

"All right. But I heard from Ohgi that Zero's making contact with the Chinese Federation." Kallen changed the subject.

"He's being cautious as he has not interest in a real contact with the Chinese but we're not in a position to say no to them yet, not when they want Japan and the Sakuradite for themselves. Zero will most likely offer information valuable to them for countering Britannia in exchange for some Sakuradite we stole from the Britannians to keep them happy for a while." Naruto nodded with a small smile. "Once we get Japan we'll worry about them then."

"Are you sure we can get take back Japan without their help?" Kallen asked curiously.

"It'll take some time. Cornelia's not a push over even if we've made it this far and with a Knight and two Geass users we'll have to be extra careful. At the very least we'll be able to take Japan in a year, two at most but the real challenge will be keeping it. Britannia will no doubt send reinforcements to take the country back and then the Chinese Federation will offer 'protection' to get their hands on the Sakuradite." C.C. answered.

"We'll just need to build up more firepower to liberate and protect Japan for when the time comes." Naruto said.

"I see…" Kallen sighed. "We've been working so hard to free Japan that we didn't realize what would happen after we did. Still no word from Todoh or the Four Holy Swords?"

"None. From what I've heard this Todoh is a good strategist but he's on the run and not in the position to do anything. I'm sure we would have heard if he was dead by now." Naruto shook his head.

"Todoh won't do anything yet, not without the resources to strike back against the Britannians." C.C. offered. "He'll hideout for a while but with Katase and the rest of the JLF dead it's hard to tell what he'll do next."

"I hope we find him soon. We could use him and the Holy Swords right about now." Kallen sighed sadly.

Xxx

"_The agent has made contact_." The voice came through the phone.

"Should we apprehend them now?" Bartley asked, looking at the man sitting on the chair in front of him.

"No, for now the agent shall simply wait and watch. We will strike when we have enough information." The man said confidently. "No need to tip our hand so soon."

"But sir, what if the agent is compromised?" Bartley asked.

"Then he is of no use to us. In the meantime, Rolo, you have heard of the Vincent?" The man changed the topic.

"_Yes._" Rolo answered through the speakers.

"Good. I have decided you will replace the test pilot for the Vincent. We need all the capable pilots on the battlefield the next time the Black Knights make an appearance and the Vincent's test pilot is a troublesome fool not worth training." The man said in a dismissive tone to the Vincent's pilot.

"_Understood._" Rolo said before hanging up.

"Sir, what makes you wish to replace the Vincent's pilot?" Bartley asked.

"It's come to my attention that even with the Club Cornelia is still outnumbered, due to the unique abilities of Zero's ace pilots. Rolo's skills combined with his Geass and emotional control make him an asset I intend to exploit fully to my advantage." The man answered simply.

Bartley had to repress the shudder running through his spine as he bowed his head. "Understood sir."

"Now that that has been taken care I believe we have a few test subjects to check up on." The man stood up from his chair. "Let's see how the progress has been going."


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

Lelouch had to rub his head because of the splitting headache he was experiencing because of the day's events as he walked to the clubhouse, spotting three familiar students coming out of the entrance. Lelouch had to suppress the urge to grimace at the sight of Kallen, remembering their meeting earlier today.

Kallen glanced at Lelouch, wondering if Lelouch was still angry for her guessing his secret but to his credit he looked calm as he walked up. "You asked for me?"

"Just a little something me and C.C. set up, making use of the school's basements." Naruto smirked as he gestured into the club house, walking in with a curious Lelouch and Kallen following him.

He led them to a door at the end of a hall and opened it up, revealing…

"A gym?" Kallen questioned as she looked around, taking note of the spacious and obviously well kept gym. "That's what you wanted to show us?"

"Partly. This is a private gym that only members of the Student Council can use. Luckily for us, the only person on Student Council that actually works out is Shirley but she prefers the Swim Club so almost no one ever comes here."

"I'd have thought you'd be happy, Kallen. You have to be at top physical condition to be a Knightmare pilot but it must be hard to exercise because of how 'sick' you are." C.C. commented with an amused smile.

Kallen bit back a retort as she knew C.C. was right. "I guess you're right. But you said that's not all."

"Yeah, we dipped into the budget for this." Naruto said as he walked to the elevator.

"The budget? Naruto, I set up the budget to properly fund the Black Knights. Even if Kyoto is backing us we can't waste the money." Lelouch said, unhappy at what he heard.

"And this was done to help the Black Knights, specifically the leader and one of its aces." Naruto replied as he put in the code and gestured as the elevator opened. "Take a look."

Lelouch frowned but walked into the elevator, followed by Kallen and C.C. Once they were all inside the elevator went down to the basement. Kallen still found it hard believe that these tunnels and garages existed under the school but she remembered that the Ashford family used to produce Knightmares for the military. Naruto led them through the garages to a door and opened it up, allowing Lelouch and Kallen to look inside.

"Are those-" Kallen started.

"What I think they are?" Lelouch finished, both startled by what they saw.

"That depends. What do you think they are?" C.C. rhetorically asked.

"You used the budget to purchase a set of Knightmare simulators?" Lelouch asked as Kallen walked forward to examine the training machines.

Kallen sat down on the seat on one of the simulators and watched as it powered up, seeing various training programs. "These have got basic and advanced courses on them. You got all this and no one was suspicious?"

"You know us, Kallen. A Shinobi values stealth above all else." Naruto answered with a smile. "They're military grade simulators, modeled after Gloucesters because they're the highest performing Britannian Knightmares aside from the Lancelot."

"And this is what you meant by training, isn't it?" Lelouch glanced at Naruto, trying to not to be impressed by what he saw.

"We're not expecting you to make ace pilot but the training you get now will help in the future. Besides, you didn't argue with me after I explained my point." Naruto commented.

"You're referring to the conversation of when you said if I didn't start training you'd kidnap me, dump in a forest and hunt me like the Predator?" Lelouch retorted.

"Yes, that time." C.C. smirked as she would have loved to help out with 'playing' with Lelouch.

Lelouch sighed. "Well, they will come in handy for keeping everyone's skills sharp and you were right about what you said of the danger of me facing someone like Cornelia or Suzaku alone."

"It's a miracle. He sees the light!" Naruto proclaimed dramatically, making C.C. and Kallen chuckle while Lelouch simply waved Naruto's joke aside.

What else could he do?

Xxx

"Has anyone seen Lelouch?" Shirley asked, walking into the Student Council room seeing Milly and Nina at their usual spots.

"Sorry, haven't seen him all morning." Milly sighed as she finished her paper work. "It's really annoying as I can't have him finish the paper work if he's not around. On a lighter note it seems Naruto, Tsunade, and Kallen are gone again."

'Again?' Shirley thought with a worried look.

"Yep. I imagine Naruto and Tsunade on another date…or something else." Milly grinned evilly.

"MADAM PRESIDENT! PLEASE DON'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT!" Shirley exclaimed.

"Oh relax, Shirley." Milly waved Shirley's outburst. "There's nothing to worry about…unless."

"Unless what?" Shirley asked, calming down.

"Maybe…" A glint appeared in Milly's eyes. "Perhaps Lelouch and Kallen went on a double date with our local lovebirds."

"A…double date?" Shirley gasped.

"It would make sense in a way. I think they've been hanging out more than usual." Milly continued, sounding dramatic.

"That's not it! Kallen's probably back home because she's sick again!" Shirley exclaimed as she turned and walked out of the room.

"Oh, the joy of teenage love." Milly sighed happily while Nina glanced at Milly, pondering what she said. "Well, maybe Nunnally knows where they are."

Though they were partially right as Kallen and Lelouch were with Naruto and 'Tsunade' they had no idea what was really happening and the four would prefer that no one knew.

Not yet.

"Oh. There they are!" Milly pointed out the window.

Shirley walked over the window and saw Lelouch with Kallen, C.C., and Naruto, coming out of the clubhouse. "They were in the clubhouse? Why were they in there?"

"Who knows?" Milly sighed dramatically. "It could be…_anything_."

Shirley and Nina glanced at Milly, both of them wondering what she meant.

Xxx

"Lelouch, can we talk for a second?" Kallen asked, stopping on the path to the school which caused the other three to stop.

Lelouch stared at Kallen for a second. "Sure."

"Okay, we better go." Naruto said, sensing some tense emotions from the two.

C.C. didn't seem to care all that much. "Whatever. I want to some pizza anyways."

"Again with the pizza." Naruto sighed as C.C. dragged him off.

Kallen walked towards the bushes with Lelouch following her, not knowing that they were being watched.

Xxx

"Where are they going?" Shirley wondered, seeing Lelouch and Kallen walking to the bushes. "Is Lelouch…taking Kallen gambling with him?!"

"Maybe or they're going to…" Milly grinned evilly. "Make out passionately where no one will see them."

"That's not what they're going to do!" Shirley cried out, blushing madly.

"Well, what would they be doing that they don't want anyone to see?" Milly asked rhetorically. "You don't think they're going to do something else other than making out?"

Shirley and Nina both blushed at what Milly said and Shirley cried out. "THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT EITHER!"

Xxx

"So what did you want to talk about?" Lelouch asked once they were sure they were far enough they wouldn't be seen or overheard by anyone.

"It's about what we talked about yesterday." Kallen turned and faced the student that was her leader. "When I first thought you were Zero I was afraid that you were using me and my friends, and then when you told us about your Geass it made me think back to you and I was afraid that you used it on me." Kallen then narrowed her eyes. "Then when you revealed you did I was positive you tricked us into following you. And now there's this…you."

"You refer to my history." Lelouch stated, knowing what she was talking about.

"I'm not sure what to think of this. An exiled Prince of the Empire I swore to hate helping us with a power he can use to make anyone obey him without question. I spent the whole night wondering if this was all some kind of crazy joke but the articles, what Kirihara said, and who you are…It makes too much sense even though it's all crazy with Geass and the other powers I've seen. I know it upsets you that I went digging into your past, Lelouch but I need to know: Are you helping us because you want revenge or because you want to protect Nunnally?" Kallen stated.

Lelouch narrowed one eye but didn't look away. "Honestly it's a bit of both."

"Both?" Kallen asked.

"I hate Britannia and for what it stands for because it dictates that the weak should be cast aside and what do you think that means for Nunnally, a girl who was formerly blind and still can't walk. I hate the Emperor for refusing to bring my mother's killer to justice and for abandoning me and my sister in a foreign land. And I know what's like to suffer in a war like how the Japanese suffered as I carried my sister through the carnage. She couldn't see the field of dead corpses I carried her through and I knew if I told her the truth would terrify her so I said we were passing by a waste facility." Lelouch stated, clenching one fist. "But the feelings that came from experiencing it all, it doesn't go away no matter how hard you try to forget. Nunnally is happy to be just living in the clubhouse with her big brother and were our futures not in danger of being discovered and shipped back to that man where he can use us as puppets again I would be content to live our lives as well…But we don't have that option so I choose to fight."

Kallen was surprised to hear that Lelouch carried his sister through a war zone. She couldn't blame him though because she had seen the devastation brought on by the war just by looking at the Ghettos.

"However revenge is not motive enough to declare war against a third of the world. I've seen how the people in the settlement look down on the Japanese, refusing to land a helping hand to anyone without the promise of a reward or good publicity. So I'm not lying when I say I sympathize with what the Japanese and the other so called Numbers have gone through under Britannia's tyranny and wish to change it. So honestly, I am working to free Japan but I'm not planning to stop there because even if Japan is freed within a year that does not guarantee its freedom is forever. What I want…I want Britannia's reign to end forever." Lelouch answered, keeping himself calm but Kallen could see the emotions flaring in his eyes.

"You want to destroy Britannia? Are you going to drag us into a war with them even after Japan is freed?" Kallen asked, trying to see what Lelouch was thinking.

"If you're saying I'll declare war on Britannia the instant Japan is freed than no. I'm not that revenge driven but I recognize the chance that Britannia will try to try and re-conquer Japan in the future. With that in mind I have to consider finding other allies against Britannia, like the Chinese Federation and the E.U. but that's too far in the future to think over." Lelouch answered honestly.

"I see…That's good enough for now." Kallen stated. "I just have a few conditions I'd like to lay down."

"And those are?"

"One: Don't lie to me. If I ask something I want an honest answer no matter what. Two: I want to be treated as an equal like Naruto and C.C. are." Kallen answered.

"I thought they already made you an equal when they gave you Geass." Lelouch pointed out thoughtfully.

"But I know it wasn't your choice to give me Geass or reveal yourself so I'm making it a point now. I want you to acknowledge me as an equal, your knight, your fellow contractor, your partner from now on." Kallen retorted, not looking like she'll accept any other answer.

"All right. Since Naruto and C.C. already consider you an equal the least I can do is accept it." Lelouch said, annoyed he'd have to share his plans with someone else but recognizing the need to keep Kallen from ratting him out.

"And third: even if you want your identity kept secret from the others at the very least I want you to share a few of your plans rather than retreating back into the dark or let Naruto or C.C. explain it for you. Trust is a two way street, Lelouch, and even if you're trying to help us we need a reason to trust you. You don't have to reveal your entire plan but at the very least you should consult Ohgi because he was the original commander of the group." Kallen continued.

"You want me to share power with the others?" Lelouch questioned.

"We're not your servants and even if you acknowledge that you're not a Prince anymore you like to keep things to yourself a little too much. I can see at least Naruto has a different idea on how things should be run but he prefers to be a fighter than a leader and trying to keep the peace in the group. We put our trust in you, Lelouch, now it's your turn to put some of your trust in us." Kallen said, standing her ground.

Lelouch sighed. "All right, I'll make an effort to consult you and Ohgi but you should know that I cannot promise victory in every encounter even if I share my plans."

"I know but I want you to try." Kallen stated. "In exchange for that I won't tell them anything about your past."

"I see…All right, Kallen Kozuki, I accept your contract." Lelouch agreed calmly. "So as long as you do two things for me."

"And what are those?" Kallen asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"One: If you want to me treat as one of my knights then I'll have to trust you to watch my back but in the event that something happens to me I ask that you…take my place as leader of the Black Knight." Lelouch said hesitantly.

"What?" Kallen asked with slightly widened eyes. "Take your place?"

"Though Naruto and C.C. can take over I believe the Black Knights would be more willing to follow you if something happened to Zero. I don't plan on dying but these are dangerous times." Lelouch explained. "You'll have Naruto and C.C. to help if anything goes wrong."

Truthfully Lelouch didn't have any intention on naming a successor but Naruto and C.C. had picked Kallen to possibly replace him if something had happened and though he had no intention of dying at the very least he could rely on Kallen to continue his fight to destroy Britannia and Sayoko could protect Nunnally even after she regains the use of her legs. He decided to go along with the chance of Kallen replacing him and asked to her to take over as a way to show his sincerity and to fully earn her trust. He didn't know if Kallen could succeed him completely but with Naruto and C.C. backing her up it was likely the Black Knights wouldn't fall apart if Zero suddenly died.

"And the second?" Kallen asked, trying to shake her of shock.

"Don't call me Your Highness ever again." Lelouch scowled. "I discarded my title and my claim to the throne. So, do w have a deal?" Lelouch held out his hand.

Kallen reached with her own hand and shook it. "Don't let me down, Lelouch Lamperouge."

"LULU! KALLEN! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Shirley's voice rang through the forest.

Kallen and Lelouch both stumbled when they heard Shirley's voice. If she had followed them and heard what they were talking about…

"What do we do? We run?" Kallen asked, slightly on edge.

"No. If she suspects we disappeared she and Milly will be all over the place looking for us." Lelouch looked around. "I have an idea."

When Shirley came out she gasped when she saw Lelouch kneeling down next to Kallen was sleeping with her back against the tree. "Lulu! Is something wrong with Kallen?"

"Oh, Shirley." Lelouch looked up. "Don't worry. Kallen just had a fainting spell. I guess her blood sugar might have been a tad low. She mentioned she skipped lunch because she wanted to get home for some reason but fainted. I was actually a little worried about her so I followed her."

"Is she going to be all right?" Shirley walked up and knelt down next to Lelouch.

"She'll be fine. Just a little sleep and she'll be back on her feet in no time. I was actually going to call Milly and ask if she could arrange a ride." Lelouch said reassuringly. "I just didn't want to move her and risk waking her up."

"Oh…okay." Shirley nodded. "I'll go see Milly."

Lelouch sighed in relief as Shirley walked away and looked back at Kallen. "Okay, she's gone now…"

"Zzzzzz…." Kallen lightly snored.

"You actually fell asleep?" Lelouch questioned with both eyebrows raised by the sudden surprise. He couldn't leave her alone like this, especially since there might be some crazy boys who could do almost well…anything to her while she was asleep so he sighed and sat down next to her. "I guess all these late nights have left you with little time for sleep."

He sighed and looked up at the blue sky, feeling content for some reason. Little did they realize that they were being watched someone with an evil smile.

Xxx

"It's been a while since we could spend time like this." Cornelia lied her head down on Euphemia's lap, enjoying the calm silence. "There have been so many unexpected events since we came here." She reached up and pinched both sides of Euphemia's stomach, causing her to giggle. "All of that desk work, it's making you fat."

"Hey cut it out! It's not funny!" Euphie said but kept a smile on as Cornelia giggled and rolled off her lap. "Cornelia, don't you think this garden looks familiar? It's like Lady Marianne's."

Cornelia looked up around the garden, seeing the similarities and wondered if this was why she felt so peaceful. "Now that you mention it."

"I heard Clovis ordered them to build it like this." Euphie commented.

"I'm surprised he liked her Villa that much, since he was always fighting with her son, Lelouch there." Cornelia remarked.

"He must have thought of Lelouch as his…rival." Euphie speculated.

"Even though Lelouch was younger?" Cornelia questioned.

"Well he kept paintings of Lelouch and the others. We found them after he was killed." Euphie trailed off, looking away slightly.

"I see." Cornelia said solemnly. "We need to stabilize this area and capture Zero fast, to avenge Clovis. As well as Lelouch and Nunnnally. This land has taken the lives of three of our siblings; it's soaked in our family's blood."

Xxx

Mito was looking over the laptop in front of her, examining the progress of the Knightmare she and the boss were building.

A window showing Rakshata appeared on the screen. "_What's the status?_"

"The IDF system is still having a few problems reacting with the MAS but I'm making progress in fixing that. The ECS system is online and working at a sixty seven percent success rate but the PROVIDENCE system is correcting these flaws as they present themselves. I got to say, creating the PROVIDENCE system is an unexpected addition on your part." Mito remarked with a grin.

"_Well, Naruto did say that a shinobi remains unpredictable and Zero needs a little handicap to stay alive._" Rakshata chuckled. "_I haven't had to go through this much trouble when designing the Guren and Shen-Hu but we're making a command unit this time. We need to make a few…new experimental additions thanks to the library provided by Ruben Ashford._"

"It works perfectly. It's identified over eight design flaws in our new Knightmare that would have taken a few more weeks to correct if we were doing it the old fashioned way." Mito nodded in agreement.

"_Perfect. That means that it'll be ready in just a week._" Rakshata grinned eagerly. "_Just in time for when I arrive to Area Eleven._"

Xxx

Naruto sighed as he sat under the make-shift waterfall he created to mimic the water fall at Mount Myokobu to help him relax. He was clad only his boxers but next to him was C.C. who was wearing a two piece white swim suit as she was working to finish the final part of her training. The art of summoning nature chakra from the environment around her, Senjutsu. They were also meditating to try and learn the extent of their powers.

They had unlocked the basic powers of the Rinnegan, understood the power of Absolute Harmony and Unity, but they believed it wasn't the extent of their power. Their chakra resonated against each other, seemingly physically manifesting the bond forged between them. Eventually after a few hours something happened as they were both pulled into their minds.

Xxx

Rakshata fell forward onto her table, barely hearing someone shouting her name as her vision faded.

Xxx

Sayoko collapsed onto the ground, not missing the sound of Nunnally crying out her name as she lost consciousness.

Xxx

Naruto and C.C. didn't know what to make as they found themselves standing on water and before them was a man dressed in a white robe, hovering before them in a meditative position, holding a staff with black orbs circling underneath him.

C.C.'s eyes widened when she saw the man. "It's you…"

"Where are we? Are we in each other's heads?" Naruto asked.

"Your personal ethical view towards the mind differs greatly from someone of my era. By what means do you believe this to be either of your minds? For one who believes he understands the concepts of the mind your mettle is quite impressive." The man stated.

"Okay, who are you?" Naruto asked.

"As to why the two of you are here that is surely a valid inquiry. Though I do worry if perhaps by revealing my name it may influence your thoughts and opinion as it had your predecessors." The man continued.

"I know you. You're the man I saw when I made the contract with Naruto." C.C. spoke up.

"Uh?" Naruto looked confused. "Wait, if he's the guy you saw does that mean he's-"

"I am the creator of law, peace, and order. I am he who is known Hagoromo." The man answered Naruto's question.

"…." Naruto and C.C. were silent, staring at Hagoromo.

"Your reaction, being that I am able to read omens and signs, precognitions, premonition, and such I had already anticipated such response."

'Huh? What is he talking about?' Naruto thought. "Sorry gramps but I-"

"He means he knew we'd react the way we did when he told us his name." C.C. clarified. "I remember seeing him and those eyes."

Naruto looked at Hagoromo's eyes. "The Rinnegan!"

"You posses quite a scrupulous and eye for scrutinizing others. Perhaps if you both were to turn it upon yourselves you would gain a realistic comprehension of your circumstances." Hagoromo stated.

"And how can we do that when we do not know where we are or how we appeared here? Are we dead? Are we in either of our minds or are we somewhere else completely?" C.C. asked, seemingly understanding the man.

"This is your inner world, inside your spirits, inside your minds, forged by the connections you two share. I can comprehend why you would feel such urgency but in this particular haste we would be best to find ourselves idle. You see-"

"GET ON WITH IT ALREADY?! CAN'T YOU JUST TALK NORMALLY FOR A SECOND?!" Naruto shouted but stopped as C.C. slapped him on the back of the head. "OW!"

"He's talking clearly to the both of us. If you stop shouting and listen you can understand what he's saying." C.C. stated, sighing at Naruto's cluelessness.

"I am an oddity of time and space. The stream of time has long flowed past me. Cultural traditions and notions, ethics and morals have all undergone changes. I who have journeyed across time and space to this world to meet the two of you, clearly you have differences amongst these areas."

"Time changes everything, even the concept of what is human I suppose." C.C. stated with a small smirk. "Please forgive my friend though, he doesn't have the patience for listening sometimes."

"Hey!" Naruto protested.

"What you pursue are words but their meanings are vague at best, insubstantial, transient." Hagoromo continued. "Without mutual comprehension of our values and selves, their definitions are ambiguous and what they stand for lost. Very well though, I will attempt to compensate for my enlightened knowledge and understanding of the material and speak plainly."

"Huh? Are you like an alien for something?" Naruto said and was whacked on the head by C.C. again.

"He's saying he'll try and talk normally." C.C. answered for the man again.

"Hrmm…That is a bit much isn't it? An alien you say?" The man chuckled without any humor in it. "Although, that is not far off."

C.C. chuckled at the clueless look on Naruto's face.

"You still can't follow my speech?" Hagoromo asked. "I had not thought conversation would prove to be this complex a task…"

"No, no! The way you're talking is totally fine!" Naruto laughed. "I was finally able to understand you! It's just the way you talked shifted so quickly startled me!"

"Really? He said he was going to try and speak your language. Then again, knucklehead language is a complexity of its own." C.C. retorted.

"Like for reals? Then I talk like this? Ya feel me? Ya know what I'm saying?" Hagoromo asked.

"…." Naruto was caught off guard again. "Yeah but…"

"He wants to say he can understand you perfectly now." C.C. clarified with a sigh.

"There's something really creepy about the way you're talking doesn't match with your face at all. I guess you should leave a bit of complexity otherwise you end up sounding like an idiot." Naruto said and was awarded with another slap to the head. "OW! Cut it out Cera!"

"Aren't you going a bit too far? Calling me an idiot now? Well…if that's how talking that way makes me sound that's how it is. Well…" Hagoromo changed his tone to sound a bit more normal. "How about this then?"

"Yeah! Just like that! Perfect!" Naruto sighed. "I think I understand now."

"Now that we can finally talk can we continue this…conversation?" C.C. said, wanting to get on with it. "Who are you? Are you the same man Naruto told me about? The man who had all these powers to begin with?"

"Don't ask too many questions at once. I died a long time ago. I'm a priest who now exists as pure chakra, and I have traveled to this world to witness what Ninshu shall bring here." Hagoromo said. "My name is Hagoromo and is he who founded Ninshu. I am also known as the Sage of the Six Paths."

"Ehh?! The same guy that Pervy Sage and Nagoto talked about?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Oh, so you do know me?" Hagoromo asked.

"You are the man who created ninjutsu in the beginning aren't you?" C.C. asked.

"Not ninjutsu, Ninshu!" Hagoromo gripped his staff. "My Ninshu was to inspire hope. Do not confuse it with ninjutsu that was made to create war."

"That's right. Kurama told me that you created Ninshu to combine people's spiritual energy together to share thoughts and feelings." Naruto realized.

The water beneath them shifted and when they looked down they saw the image of a young man dressed like Hagoromo.

"You are my son Asura's….Anyways, everything seems to be in order. There is something I must entrust you both with." Hagoromo continued.

"Asura? Entrust? What are you talking about?" Naruto asked.

"I ask that for now you both listen to me as I tell you of the story of my family." Hagoromo used his staff to shift the water again. "We'll start with my mother and my children."

On the water appeared the image of a woman dressed similarly to Hagoromo with long light colored hair that reached down to the ground with horn like protrusions, resembling rabbit ears. Her eyes were pure white with a third eye vertically slit in her forehead.

"My mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki came to the land known as the Elemental Nations from a faraway place. She had come pluck a fruit of the Sacred Tree. The very same tree that you, inheritor of Asura's will had seen in the war on your world. She had come for its fruit of chakra. With the power Kaguya gained from eating the fruit she was able to rule over the land."

"Where did Kaguya come from? Is she even stronger then you Sage of the Six Paths?" Naruto chuckled. "It really is true; moms are scary when you piss them off!"

"Where she came from is of no importance. My mother was powerful, more powerful than anyone." Hagoromo seemed sad now for some reason. "The people either called my mother the Rabbit Goddess or the Demon. They worshiped her in fear. Later Kaguya gave birth to two children, one of which was me. In order to repent for the remaining sins of our mother we fought against the physical incarnation of the sacred tree, the Juubi, and we sealed it within ourselves. The Sacred Tree frenzied and struggled to reclaim the chakra fruit that had been stolen." Hagoromo then showed them the image of two boys. "As time went on, I too had children. The older son I named Indra and the younger Asura. I taught them both Ninshu, however there was a huge difference between the two. One inherited my strong chakra genes and one had not. The difference of genes manifested itself in an extreme manner between the two. "

"So, one inherited your power and the other didn't?" C.C. clarified for Naruto.

"The superior older brother, Indra." Hagoromo gestured to the man with long black hair and red eyes. "And the flunky useless dropout younger brother, Asura." He then gestured to the man with shorter hair.

"Useless dropout, even though his dad was the Sage of the Six Paths?" Naruto muttered glumly.

"Perhaps I shouldn't tell you this, but no matter how superior or excellent the parents are that power won't necessarily be inherited by the child as I'm sure you know." Hagoromo stated as the images of his sons were replaced by Naruto's parents. "You were very much the same weren't you, Naruto?"

"I figured this was what you meant." Naruto sighed sadly.

"And you really do resemble Asura with what you've done too." Hagoromo said.

"Hmm? What I've done?" Naruto asked.

"Indra and Asura walked very different paths. Since birth, the older brother Indra had powerful eyes and a strong sense for battle. He was touted for a genius. He did everything with his own power and understood that his power was special and different from those around him. He also came to believe that with power anything was possible." Hagoromo turned to the image of Asura. "On the opposite side, the younger son Asura who since childhood was bad at everything he did. He couldn't do anything by himself. To achieve the same result as his brother he needed huge amounts of his own effort along with the cooperation of those around him. And soon through harsh training the chakra inside him bloomed and he found the same power level as his brother. He also understood that working together to help him was what made him strong." Hagoromo stopped for a second. "He came to understand what it meant to care for others…Through the way Asura lived his life I began to realize a new possibility…I divided the power of the Juubi that was inside of me and gave names to its parts. I believed the bonds of cooperation was where true power laid."

Naruto smiled in understanding.

"I also made Asura the leader of Ninshu, so that he could guide everyone. I thought his brother would join and cooperate but…" Hagoromo stated with regret. "Indra would not accept that and that was the very moment the long war began."

"The two brothers fought each other and that feud continued through their descendants." C.C. stated, having heard of the story.

"Yes, and when their bodies were destroyed their chakra didn't disappear but was reborn throughout the ages, time and time again." Hagoromo replied.

"Yikes, that's like being possessed by a ghost or something? So who's the unlucky guy being possessed by them now?" Naruto chuckled.

"I think that's obvious, Naruto." C.C. stated with an annoyed look on her face.

"You, Naruto." Hagoromo looked into Naruto's eyes. "Asura was reborn in you."

As he spoke a humanoid figure made of chakra with Asura's face appeared behind Naruto.

"Hm?!" Naruto's eyes widened.

"With my eyes I can clearly see Asura's chakra clinging tightly to you." Hagoromo stated.

'Could it be?' Naruto looked away.

"You're not surprised, Naruto." C.C. stated, being calm through the startling revelation.

"You've probably felt Asura's presence inside yourself. As I suspected…" Hagoromo stated. "In that case then you've probably already figured out who Indra's successor is."

Naruto closed eyes as he pouted before opening them. "Sasuke. It was him wasn't it?"

"Correct. So you did feel it." Hagoromo nodded.

"What about the successors? The ones before us?" Naruto asked.

"The successors of the previous generation were Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. Hashirama was Asura and Madara was Indra. I believe you know what happened to those two." Hagoromo answered. "But before Madara could pass onto the next successor he introduced a problem. He had become consumed with his lust for power and took Hashirama's strength. In other words Asura's chakra and Indra's chakra fused together into one vessel. This ultimately led him to my own power and awoke the Rinnegan."

"So you've been watching your children's right this whole time?" Naruto asked.

"…I suppose so." Hagoromo answered.

"…I see." Naruto looked down at the water.

"The purpose of Ninshu was to connect people to one another. It's my belief that no one should be more powerful than the other. My mother, even though she managed bring an end to troubled times she controlled the world with the power of a single person. Before long her power gave birth to great hubris and people began to fear that power. My mother, who was once called the Rabbit Goddess came to be feared as a demon for this reason. If power is accumulated into one person that power before long drives that person mad. Madara attempted to gain the power of the Juubi, a power close to mine, and attempted to gain my mother's power. Fortunately he failed as you are here with the Biju, far from his reach and left him unable to claim that power."

"Do you know what happened after I was sent here?" Naruto asked, wondering what happened to his home world.

"I cannot explain everything yet but I can tell you that Madara failed to seal the Juubi in himself when you came here with the chakras of the Biju. In time you will know what happened when you master your powers." Hagoromo answered and though Naruto wanted to ask more he reluctantly conceded.

"If the Rinnegan was awakened when the power of your sons merged together why did Naruto and I gain the Rinnegan when I granted him Geass?" C.C. asked.

"Geass, the power you claim to be the Power of the King. A power that is able to manifest in the form of the desires of whoever awakens it. It is only limited to the imagination of the person's desire as you know well, Cera Celeste." Hagoromo replied.

"How do you know my name?" C.C. scowled.

"Your mind, your life, all of it became open once you made a connection with Naruto. Your Geass, the Power to be Loved. You used it to garner the loving attention of those around you, until you were betrayed." Hagoromo commented.

"You've seen my life?" C.C. narrowed her eyes.

"You wandered hundreds of years looking for someone to take your Code, you served in the conflict known as the Hundred Year War under a person who was dear to you, you gave Geass to a young boy who gained the power to read minds but left him when he become emotionally and mentally consumed by his power." Hagoromo continued. "And when you offered the contract of Geass to Naruto who had been brought to the same base as you it changed everything."

"I'm well aware of that. Is that why you are here? Because of the contract we made?" C.C. asked.

Hagoromo pointed his staff and above them appeared a large planet that resembled Jupiter that glowed bright. "Your Geass, your Code, all of it is the Power of Desire given form. The Collective Subconscious of humanity, known as the Pure Land from our world. The wills and personalities of all things living and dead merge together to create a world that transcends all individuality. In our world those who are enlightened call it the Pure Land while in this world it is called-"

"C's World." C.C. finished for Hagoromo.

"It's the afterlife?" Naruto asked, trying to keep up as he stared at the planet.

"It is possibly that and more. It is the origin of Geass as the Codes function as imprints of the collective consciousness of humanity itself and thus has the power to awaken the power of desires in other beings. However when that desire reaches its full power and absorbs the imprint, that desire merges with the collective which is all of humanity's desires." Hagoromo replied.

"And that's why a Code Bearer loses the power of Geass, isn't it? Our Geass is our desire given form and when we receive the Code that desire merged with it, leaving us immortal and the bestow Geass onto others but lose our own." C.C. said, understanding what Hagoromo was saying. "That still doesn't explain why we gained the Rinnegan or why you are here."

"The Rinnegan was the result of combining the power of imagination that gives shape to anything the mind wishes, and the power that breathes life into form, combining them to create the perfect balance of power that only a few beings have managed to gain. The Shinju was the first, containing the world's mystical energy that gave life to our world. My mother was next when she consumed the fruit, which I inherited followed by Madara who combined the chakra of my sons together, and you two were next. The power of my son, Asura reacting to the Code that represents the Collective Will of Humanity itself that can grant anyone the power to give their desires form." Hagoromo answered. "It resulted in the awakening of the Rinnegan in both of you due to the bond that created by Code Bearer and Geass Holder but at the same time it is different from the previous users, including myself. The power of Earth…and Humanity's Will. It could lead this world to an era of peace but at the same it is dangerous as it could lead you down the same path as my mother and Madara."

"That's why you're here. You're worried C.C. and I might end like them?" Naruto asked with a surprised look on his face. "I wouldn't do that! I fought Madara to save my world from being enslaved! I'm doing the same against Britannia!"

"I know and I see the good in your wish, Naruto. I do not come to accuse you of being corrupted. I come to ask you, what do you believe that must be done to achieve peace?" Hagoromo asked and glance at C.C. "I ask you this question as well as you share this power. Never before has the Rinnegan been granted to two individuals at the same time and you granted this power to two more. Not even my mother showed this ability but if she had she never used it."

Naruto and C.C. turned around and watched as Sayoko and Rakshata appeared out of thin air.

"Rakshata? Sayoko? When did you get here?" Naruto asked.

"We've been here all along, Naruto-san." Sayoko answered as she bowed her head to Hagoromo. "I am Sayoko Shinozaki, 37th successor of the Shinozaki School of Martial Arts."

"Greetings, Sayoko Shinozaki and to you as well, Rakshata Chawla." Hagoromo bowed his head.

"So, you're the famous Sage of the Six Paths." Rakshata smiled. "You know, I never believed in afterlife or God or the millions of Gods I was forced to pray to when I was a child in India. I am a woman of science, though I must say you answer a lot of questions about the unknown. A few questions of the afterlife possibly and some legends surrounding several religions."

"The matters of science and of belief are to bring forth answers to questions we cannot answer alone, seeking knowledge that we can either see with our eyes or rely on a strong sense of faith that our questions are answered when our time comes to a close." Hagoromo stated.

"So, in death all questions are answered? How droll." Rakshata chuckled. "Have you answered your questions?"

"Death is not an end. It is merely the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. Those who ascend to the Pure Land are given the chance to understand but it is a journey, much like all quests for knowledge." Hagoromo said.

"Hmm…What an interesting man you are." Rakshata mused.

"I gathered you all so that I may ask you, can you both lead this world to an age of peace? What are your beliefs?" Hagoromo asked.

C.C. and Naruto shared a look with each other as C.C. reached out with her hand which Naruto grasped.

"I think we both know the answer to that, old man." Naruto said with a smile.

"My allegiance is to my Master Lelouch and Lady Nunnally. I will follow their path no matter what." Sayoko answered without hesitance.

"Well, at the very least I believe that these kids can lead the world to peace, whatever that might be. I'm not a leader and to be honest I deal more with logic and statistics then I do with faith. So I'll leave it to them." Rakshata stated, looking at Naruto and C.C. with a small smile.

Hagoromo looked at both of them as a slight smile appeared on his face. "I see…Very well. I will leave this world's affairs to you. You will both face challenges but each quest to the future is filled with challenges. Until then, Naruto there is something I need you to do."

"Hm?" Naruto tilted his head slightly.

With that said they were all engulfed in a bright light.

Xxx

Naruto and C.C. opened their eyes, seeing the blue sky and water fall they had made for meditation. They turned and looked into each other's ringed eyes.

"…Did that just happen?" Naruto asked.

C.C. shrugged. "Who knows? Who cares? I've seen too much to be wondering if a dream or vision I had was real."

"Still though," Naruto offered a small smile. "It was pretty cool to meet the man who made history."

"Your history you mean." C.C. stood up and stretched her limbs. "I've seen people who made history literally make history for the last few centuries. Anyways, it seems we got his blessing to try and change the world for the better."

"Yep!" Naruto stood up. "Who knows? We might be the Sages of the Six Paths in this world!"

"Hm…" C.C. made a small smile as she stepped out of the water and walked over to her clothes. "Whatever. Come on, it's getting late."

Xxx

"Come on, Naruto. Stop moving around."

Naruto fidgeted as he tried to remain still as the students around him worked on sketching him. "Why did I agree to this again?"

"Because it was coin toss between you and Lelouch and it came up heads so you're it." Milly answered, as she continued sketching. "Besides, with how you look there is a fan-club about you that's as big as Lelouch's."

"What's the matter, Naruto? You're not shy are you?" Lelouch smirked as he drew on his sketchbook.

"Maybe I'm just more attractive because I don't like a walking stick man." Naruto retorted, causing a few chuckles.

"Perhaps I or a few ladies should sit in with him." C.C. offered, smirking at a few girls that had to cover the blood coming from their noses. "Perhaps we should…shed some outer clothing to make it more…memorable." At this point the boys were blushing while the girls were either blushing or looking scandalized.

"That's sounds like a great idea, Tsunade!" Milly grinned. "Are you volunteering or are you going to let some other girl have the honor?"

"Are you offering Madam President?" C.C. asked, spotting Rivalz shaking his head desperately. "Or maybe Shirley or Nina would like to try."

"WH-WHAT?!" Shirley gasped while Nina stuttered, her face turning red.

"Aw come on! First Lelouch and Naruto! Leave some woman for us average guys!" Rivalz complained.

"Relax, Rivalz. I'm sure she's just kidding." Lelouch said to try and calm Rivalz down but knew C.C. was most likely not kidding.

"Right, kidding." C.C. said in a dull tone.

"Oh, Lelouch I'd thought you'd want to see something." Milly grinned over at Lelouch who for some reason was slightly afraid.

"Yes, Madam President?" Lelouch asked.

"Come with me." Milly gestured for Lelouch to follow which he did. Once they were out in the hall Milly spun around and showed a picture to Lelouch. "Take a look at this!"

Lelouch froze as it was picture of him and Kallen sleeping against a tree yesterday. He told Kallen to pretend to fall asleep when Shirley came looking for them but had actually fallen asleep, leaving Lelouch to stay with her to make sure nothing happened to her. He had fallen asleep too and hadn't woken up until a few hours later when Kallen had woke him up. The two had gone their separate ways after that, thanking whatever God that was looking out for them that no one had seen them and made any wild speculations even though they hadn't been in any embarrassing positions and hadn't even touched each other.

"Look at you two, you both look so cute." Milly gushed over the picture.

"What are you up to, Milly?" Lelouch asked, trying to stay calm.

"Oh nothing, I was just thinking of posting it all over the school." Milly answered, sounding casual and evil at the same time.

"Milly, if this picture gets out Kallen and I are in big trouble." Lelouch shook his head.

"Oh?" Milly raised an eyebrow.

"If people see this picture they'll spread it around, increasing the chance that someone will recognize me and let's not forget Kallen will get harassed by my fan clubs. You really want to put her through this?" Lelouch asked, hoping Milly would see reason.

To his surprise Milly looked serious as she nodded. "I know, Lelouch. I'm not that eager for a little dirt on you." She grinned. "Of course that doesn't mean I can't show it around to the Student Council."

"So you just wanted to make me squirm…again." Lelouch observed with an annoyed look on his face.

"Yep. Now come on, let's go find Kallen and show it to her!" Milly said as she grabbed Lelouch's arm and dragged him along to help her find Kallen.

Xxx

"Excuse me?" Inoue asked.

Kaname Ohgi looked up from his lunch of octopus shaped hot dogs when he heard footsteps approaching him from behind. "No it's not what you think!"

"We have visitors." Inoue said simply. "They also have an introduction from Kyoto."

Quickly closing his bento, he turned around to face the four members of the JLF's Four Holy Swords.

Surprised to see the four most famous warriors after Todoh himself in front of him, Ohgi quickly rose from his seated position and made to shake the nearest one's hand. "You're the Four Holy Swords!"

"I'll get straight to the point here. The heavyset man interrupted, waiting for Ohgi to nod before continuing. "We've come today to ask for your help."

"Huh?"The former teacher raised his eyebrow upon hearing this. "What do you mean?"

What could these almost legendary warriors possibly need from them? It sounded crazy that group that could fight on par with the elite units of Cornelia's forces would here come here to ask for aid.

"Lt. Col. Todoh has been apprehended. He sacrificed himself so we could escape."


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.**

Xxx

A week had passed since the incident with Mao and Villetta Nu and for the most part things had quieted back down. Lelouch found himself dragged down to the simulator by Naruto, C.C. or Kallen for training almost every day. All three of them usually won but noticed that Lelouch was getting better even though he always lost. He usually made use of the terrain around him to his advantage in his fights as he usually lost when he tried fighting head on. For the most part he and Kallen were speaking socially and when they were with the Black Knights they acted as everyone had come to expect so for the most part what had happened between them when Kallen had called him out on his true identity was for the most part pushed aside for the moment.

However that did not stop Lelouch from grinning when Milly showed Kallen the picture of them sleeping against a tree which resulted in Kallen begging Milly to not show anyone. She caught Lelouch grinning and heard him mouth to her when Milly revealed she was just messing with her and Lelouch 'Now we're even'. When Milly turned her back Kallen gave Lelouch a scary glare for helping Milly almost make her heart stop but was thankful he convinced her to not show anyone, especially Naruto and C.C. They would have been on both of their cases if they saw the photo. But that was in the past and right now Lelouch was conversing with Ohgi over the phone.

"I see…very well we will help them." Lelouch replied.

_"Are you sure?_" Ohgi asked.

"The Black Knights fight for the cause of Justice there is nothing odd about that." Lelouch answered before giving Ohgi instructions. "We'll use assembly method B-13, take the Knightmares via course 18…you have Diethard handle it. Also alert those to rendezvous with us…I'll meet you all later."

Once Lelouch was done he hung up the phone. 'Perfect. A chance to rescue and recruit Todoh and the Four Holy Swords into the Black Knights. With their help the Black Knights will become strong enough to take the fight to Cornelia.'

"My Shadow Clone has met with the Chinese Federation but don't expect any results for the moment." C.C. stated, walking up the stairs.

She was finished with art class but left Naruto behind to the mercy of Milly and a few other girls. He was a big boy now so he could handle himself.

"Don't worry about that. We can handle that later. Besides after today we might gain a few more allies."

"Then you should get ready too." C.C. smirked. "You're going to love what you see tonight."

Lelouch had an idea of what C.C. was talking about.

Xxx

"We will open Art Week with the dedication of the Clovis Memorial Museum of Art." The curator noted, smiling confidently as he led Euphemia and her entourage down the halls "You, Princess Euphemia, will select the first place winner from amongst these submitted works."

Euphemia sighed, understanding now why her sister had left her to do this. Cornelia had no patience for such things, and doubtlessly assumed that Euphemia couldn't get into any trouble here. Euphie paused before one painting, which showed a house with garden in a serene background. The very picture seemed to call feelings of comfort, of that fuzzy feeling of a nice day home.

"I really like this one." Euphy declared.

The curator cleared his throat. "Yes well, or research showed that the artist was a quarter Eleven. Either way, why don't you look at this one?"

It was a picture of her father at Clovis's funeral which was not something Euphie would say was unique. She had seen enough paintings of her large sire back at Pendragon.

"Come, come, curator. Let Princess Euphemia make up her own mind. I'm sure the people will love her choices." A voice spoke up behind them, earning the group's attention.

"It's you…" Euphie's eyes widened when she saw the person.

"It has been a while, Euphie."

Xxx

"Today Kyoshiro Todoh will be executed." Guilford stated to Cornelia, the Viceroy watched as the Sutherlands were deployed with a stern expression as Guilford and Nonnette stood behind her

"I won't be present for that now that the Japan Liberation Front is defunct." Cornelia said.

"Right." Guilford answered.

"No wait…" Cornelia looked over her shoulder with a small smirk. "Let _him_ handle the execution."

"By him you mean-" Nonnette started but trailed off.

"Viceroy," Euphemia called out, earning elder sister's attention which brought a smile as the sub-viceroy drew close.

"Sorry to summon you like this. How's everything at the museum?" Cornelia asked.

"The dedication is later on. More importantly, the NAC reported signs of unrest in Ishikawa…" Euphemia answered.

"Probably backed by the EU or the Chinese Federation." Cornelia sighed, looking honestly annoyed at these little insurgents "Still, it's an opportunity to bring Hokuriku under our control." She missed the look of distress on Euphemia's face as she accepted a document from Guilford "I'll leave Dalton here while I'm gone, if anything happens consult him." She nodded at the scarred Knight, who had pulled up behind Euphemia as Cornelia held out the list of potential pilots to her sister "Also, concerning what we spoke of earlier…"

Euphie took the book and opened, seeing the lists and pictures of pilots.

"You may choose any one of them to be your knight." Cornelia clarified but Euphemia knew what she was talking about. "They're all excellent soldiers from respected families."

"Really, Nelly? You're going to force poor Euphie to pick a total stranger for a Knight?" Nonnette asked.

"I need someone to stay be her side. Since coming here there have already have been two attempts to capture both of us and nearly succeeded." Cornelia scowled. "There's no chance we'll be lucky again, especially against Zero and the Black Knights."

Euphimia and Nonnette sighed from the purple haired woman's stubbornness. Euphie closed the book, not wanting to look at it for the moment. To be honest when Cornelia asked her to pick her Knight the images of two certain people popped up in her mind and she knew Cornelia would never approve of either of them.

"Nonnette, you'll be in charge of security. I need someone here in case Zero tries something." Cornelia glance to the Knight.

"That means I'll have to pull Rai out of school. I've been missing him so much." Nonnette sighed but smiled. "I hope he's making lots and lots of friends. A handsome boy like him will have lots and lots of girls chasing after him. I wonder if I should have given him the talk before I let him go to school so he was ready."

Cornelia shuddered at what Nonnette just said, imagining just what she would say to the poor boy she had as an apprentice and mentally scar him for life. "Nonnette, please. I don't have time for this."

"Oh come on, Nelly. Show some compassion! My little Rai is growing up and soon enough he won't have any room in his life for me!" Nonnette said, looking like she was about to cry. "I feel so old! So inadequate! I might just as well be considered his grandma!" Nonnette then looked thoughtful. "Though I might get a few kids to spoil if he finds a girl he really loves. Then I can teach them to be as tough as me and their daddy!"

Cornelia just sighed again as Nonnette kept on muttering to herself while Euphie giggled but remembered what else she needed to talk to her sister about. "Oh, Viceroy. I almost forgot. There's someone who came to speak with you."

"Hm?" Cornelia looked at Euphie. "Speak with me?"

"Yes. I surprised to see him here. Last I heard of him was that he was in charge of the Daedalus Division." Euphie nodded.

"The Daedalus Division?" Cornelia now looked surprised. "He's here? Why would he come here and not inform me?"

"He's in your office right now." Euphie replied.

"Hmm…" Cornelia frowned. "I'll be in to speak with him immediately."

Xxx

"_Cornelia suspects Zero will attempt to rescue Todoh tonight._"

"Yes, it would match his character. I hear that the Frontier and the Vincent are ready and they will be with the Lancelot on standby with Nonnette Enneagram." The man in the chair smirked.

"_Affirmative._"

"Good. You will wait and go along with the plan. We need a better understanding of Zero and his Knight's powers."

"_Understood._"

Xxx

"Yes, the pond does freeze solid in the winter but big brother scolded me once when he caught me skating on it." Nunnally said as she shared tea with Suzaku.

"We had a pond too at the Kururugi shrine. It was small but I use to catch…crawdads all the time." Suzaku said.

"You would catch crawdads? How?" Nunnally asked.

"It's simple. You just tie a string to a frog's back leg." Suzaku answered.

"Hm? Frogs? You mean those things that sit on lily pads and go croak?" Nunnally asked.

"Yeah but in Japan they go 'Ghetto, ghetto.'" Suzaku chuckled.

"What about you, Rai?" Nunnally looked over at the silent boy who had been having a few biscuits. "What's your home like?"

"My home? Well, huh…" Rai trailed off.

"Is something wrong?" Nunnally asked, wondering if it was something she said.

"I…don't remember…" Rai looked away. "I have no memory of my family or where I came from."

Nunnally gasped. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be so insensitive!"

"It's all right." Rai raised a hand to help calm Nunnally down. "I'm okay. It's not that bad. At least I can come here and see people like you and the others."

Nunnally smiled. "And we get to see you."

Lelouch was only partially listening as he made his sketch and looked over at Suzaku. 'If things continue at this pace and keep according to plan I won't be able to stay with Nunnally any longer. That affair with Mao proves I need someone to keep an eye on my little sister. If a Geass user is that dangerous to someone like Kallen then its imperative I find someone to watch over Nunnally. I would have asked Suzaku to do it but-'

"Suzaku! Rai!" The boys and Nunnnally looked to see Cecile Croomy running up, waving at Suzaku. "Lloyd says its urgent."

"Who's that?" Lelouch asked as Suzaku stood up.

"She's a soldier." Suzaku said simply as Cecile made it up, struggling for breath.

"Friends of yours?" Cecile asked, looking at Lelouch and Nunnally.

Suzaku smiled. "Yes."

"I'm sorry." Cecile said, smiling at them. "But I need to pull Suzaku away from you for a while."

"But um…" Suzaku looked Nunnally and Lelouch.

"Don't worry, I told you it's all right." Lelouch reassured him. "We'll see you again."

"Please come again soon, you two. My operation is tonight." Nunnally said.

'That's right. Nunnally's operation.' Lelouch mentally smacked himself. 'Tonight is when Mito tries to help Nunnally regain her mobility…and I'll be off rescuing Todoh. I hope it won't take me long but Naruto promised he'd give Mito a kunai to teleport me there as soon as possible.'

"Don't worry, we will." Suzaku said as he and Rai started walking.

"Suzaku." Lelouch said, stopping him.

"Hm?" He looked back at his friend.

"…Good luck." Lelouch said with a small smile.

"Don't' worry, I'll be back." Suzaku waved as he ran to catch up with Cecile and Rai.

"Well it seems Suzaku is really important to them, I'm glad." Nunnally said, making Lelouch look at her.

"Nunnally, you seem fond of Suzaku, am I right?" Lelouch askd.

"I adore him and Rai's a pretty good friend too." Nunnally said but noticed the look on Lelouch's face. "But of course I love you more than anyone, Lelouch."

"…I see." Lelouch offered a small smile.

Xxx

While preparations for tonight's execution were underway Euphemia was undertaking a very different task but was still slightly intimidating to her. The only condolence of this evening was Darlton stepping in from time to time when he felt the princess was being swamped with questions, the problem it was almost every question that was being asked.

"Sub-viceroy," A reporter called out, standing up from his seat and extending his microphone pen, the type used by all nosy parkers, towards the princess "Is it true that no Eleven companies were involved in the construction of this museum?"

"Well, with regard to that question I-" Euphemia slowly answered, unsure what to really say.

"We're currently looking into that matter right now so we have no answer at this time." Darlton cut in, earning a look of gratitude from Euphemia.

"Kerryman from Interstate."Another journalist called out, the one looking mildly intrigued as he raised his hand "Your Highness, there have been rumors lately that you are close to choosing your Knight."

"A Knight. Yes well you see I'm-"

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the curator of the Museum cut in, seeing Euphemia being overwhelmed. "We ask that you please limit your questions to the museum only."

Xxx

"Are you sure it's a good idea to throw in with the Black Knights?" Asahina asked, the bespectacled member of the Four Holy swords looking on as the rebels tended to the Gurren Mk-II, which was undergoing maintenance.

"Can you think of any other way to rescue Colonel Todoh?" Chiba asked, the female member of the four sword's arms crossed beneath her breasts as the Holy Swords watched the maintenance with grim features.

"There's also what Kyoto said." Senba muttered, the elderly veteran's features solemn as he nodded his head in approval of Lord Kirihara Taizo's message "That they'd lend us the new models."

"Still, their principles seem to be somewhat off." Asahina noted, the blue haired, bespectacled Knightmare pilot looking up at Chiba for emphasis, only for the woman to shrug, her features a mask of dismissal.

"We're not ethnocentric but after all you already know that." Chiba said simply.

"We can worry about the details of our partnership after we've rescued the Colonel." Senba assured the youngest member of the swords, offering a small smile, which Asahina returned with a nod.

"I understand." The bespectacled soldier assured the veteran, a distant smile appearing on his face as his thoughts turned to their captive leader "But no matter where Colonel Todoh may be it's the place I belong."

Xxx

"AGH!" Tamaki yelled, the redhead looking on in exasperation as the Gurren's maintenance proceeded at a snail's pace "Look, just stuff 'em in and close the lid for crying out loud! It's almost time to move out!"

"Take your time and treat it with the utmost care!" A voice countered.

The Knights and Swords turned round to see a tall, blonde haired woman of Indian descent standing nearby, dressed in a lab coat, with two similarly dressed men at her sides "It was far more fragile than any of _you_ when I gave birth to it."

"Huh?" Tamaki gaped, the redhead trying to wrap his brain around such a concept as a woman, a rather shapely one at that, giving birth to a machine, only to shake his head and glare at the woman in question "Who the hell are you?"

"I am its mother." The woman answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You arrived on time." Zero's modulated voice called out, the masked revolutionary appearing, as he always did, out of thin air, scaring the hell out of everyone who didn't see him coming with his two knights acting as his bodyguards.

"Are you Zero?" The woman asked, staring at the masked man with no hint of emotion on her face aside from a quirked eyebrow. "It's a pleasure. I've heard a lot of things about you."

"The pleasure is all mine." Zero assured the woman, accepting her hand. "I've been reading about you on the net for some time now."

"You have?" Rakshata said, playing along.

"The articles relating to medical cybernetics." Zero continued.

"I do hate talking about the past." Rakshata smiled, as she held up a set of keys on a chain "Anyway here…a souvenir from Kyoto."

"Um…excuse me…" Kallen called out, the collective male populace, with the exclusion of Senba, turning to gape at the sight of the redhead in her new uniform "Is this really going to improve the interfacing system?"

"Of course not." Rakshata chuckled, the buxom scientist tapping her pipe in the direction of the confused redhead, her features lined with amusement "It's going to improve your life expectancy. Now let's move on to my little gift for you, Zero."

Zero tilted his head slightly. "Are you referring to…"

"Why yes. It's time for the infamous Zero to grace the battlefield with my youngest child." Rakshata stated.

Xxx

Lelouch took off his mask as he, Rakshata, Naruto, Kallen and C.C. entered the elevator. Kallen knew that some of the Black Knights would be curious as to why she'd get to see what was in the basement but she wanted to come along and see Lelouch's Knightmare. The elevator reached the bottom floor and they stepped out into the basement hangar of the Ashford Factory. Seizan and Shinryoku stood in their usual places but next to Seizan was a Knightmare covered by a large sheet.

"Zero, I present to you, Arashikage!" Rakshata announced as the sheet was pulled off by the cables attached to it.

Lelouch was stunned at the appearance of the Knightmare he was going to pilot and it looked very impressive.

It was around the same height as Seizan, possessing a slim body that looked flexible and agile and was painted black with gold and red highlights. It possessed long arms with golden hands that had sharp fingers resembling talons with red circular jewels embedded in the palms. The long arms were covered completely in dark armor that reached slightly past the shoulders. On the shoulders were two highly advanced looking circular cannons with turbines for some reason that sprouted from hidden compartments.

The legs were thin and long, covered with dark golden lined armor that oddly enough did not possess Landspinners but had what looked liked turbines attached to the back of its feet which were pointed, resembling blades. The head was most unique as the 'face' was covered by a visor with a sharp angular head that resembled a helmet. The torso had black streamlined armor around the chest and groin area and on the center of the torso was a golden hexagon shaped gem. The Knightmare had two Slash Harken launchers located at the hips with sharp spikes attached to the cables. Unlike regular cockpits that were usually attached to the back was a hatch right above the jewel in the chest opened up to show the cockpit with a keyboard console that was customized for Lelouch but he noticed a second set of large turbines shaped like folded wings on its back.

"Arashikage?" Lelouch asked, looking at Rakshata with amazement in his eyes.

"It means 'Storm Shadow.'" Naruto clarified, impressed by the new Knightmare.

In Naruto's world the Elemental Villages were led by the Kages and though Lelouch was not the strongest of the Black Knights he was the leader, which was why Naruto suggested the Kage title. As Zero Lelouch was recognized for his influence and charisma in the Black Knights and though he wasn't as strong as his knights or Kallen he had the tactical intellect to be very dangerous, something C.C. had known since Lelouch was a child. Thus while the Black Knights were not Shinobi they were still fighters who stuck to the shadows and Naruto believed that Zero's Knightmare should have a Kage title, just to honor his home world.

"Wow." Kallen marveled at how unique Lelouch's Knightmare looked. "To be honest it looks like it suits you, Lelouch. It's obviously not a front line fighter but it still looks…scary looking."

"It was designed as a command type Knightmare but was built with experimental technology so even if you prefer to avoid fighting try to at least test it." Rakshata said as she gave a bat wing shaped key to Lelouch.

"Experimental?" Lelouch asked as he looked at the key. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we better go over it so you'll know what to expect." Rakshata grinned. "Wouldn't want my youngest child to be hurt on its first mission now would we?"

"We should also go over what we should do if Suzaku and Rai show up." Naruto pointed out. "Suzaku's been in almost every major fight and I bet he and Rai will try to stop us tonight. Not to mention that knight showing up there. I imagine a lot of eyes will be on the prison tonight to see Japan's most renowned hero executed. If we make it then it'll be a major blow to their moral and their image of superiority."

Kallen nodded. "He's right. Todoh's bound to have a lot of guards making sure he doesn't escape and making sure no one breaks him out."

"I know. Which is why I spent the whole day planning how to break him out." Lelouch replied as Rakshata handed him the manual. "I've received word that Cornelia won't be present at the execution tonight. She's dealing with some unrest in Ishikawa, no doubt thanks to us because we've had so much success. It's spurring the remaining resistance cells to keep on fighting and it's possible the E.U. or the Chinese Federation are backing them."

"That brings us to one of the neat little toys I made for Arashikage." Rakshata replied. "You didn't think I didn't make sure all my children were prepared for every situation out there did you?"

Xxx

Todoh Kyoshiro was kneeling in his cell, his features closed off in meditation as he awaited his execution. The Colonel did not fear death, no true warrior did, and he would not give the enemy the pleasure of seeing him scared of dying and he would not divulge any information. He would face his fate like a true samurai, and carry his people's secrets and honor to his grave.

"I just heard they changed your executioner." The guard assigned to patrol the halls outside his cell sneered, smirking in at the captured 'miracle worker' "It's going to be Warrant Officer Kururugi Suzaku…you oughta be glad it's someone you know."

Todoh's eyes opened, his fierce stare boring into the Britannian soldiers eyes with such ferocity that the man backed off in fear despite the reinforced, bullet proof glass that separated them and the fact that Todoh's expression remained calm without a single shred of emotion.

Xxx

"Come on, where is he?" Rivalz muttered anxiously.

The Student Council were all gathered in the waiting room of the school clinic as Nunnally was wheeled in for her operation. What made Rivalz so moody was that Lelouch, Tsunade, Naruto, and Kallen were seemingly absent and when he tried calling them their cell phones were off.

"I'm sure they're coming. Lelouch wouldn't miss seeing his little sister coming out for the world." Milly said with a reassuring smile but on the inside she was just as worried as everyone else. Lelouch promised to make it back in time for his sister's operation.

Xxx

"Is my brother here?" Nunnally asked shyly, wearing a hospital gown and lying face down on the bed provided for her.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he's here by now and is anxiously waiting like everyone else to see you walking again." Mito said as she prepared her tools. "All right, Nunnally. I'll have to put you under because this will no doubt hurt so I'll need you completely knocked out or you'll end up waking the whole town."

"Okay." Nunnally nodded nervously as Mito brought up mask up to the little girl's face and released sleeping gas through the tube.

Nunnally's vision became cloudy and heavy and a second later she was out completely. Mito smiled when the girl was now fully asleep as she held out her hands that started glowing green and a syringe. "Time to see if the boss's training paid off."

Xxx

"You need my signature again?" Lloyd whined from all the paper he was getting.

"Princess Cornelia may have been the one who ordered this, but we still need to follow protocols." The bureaucrat answered. "A change of executioners at the last minute is the most extraordinary of circumstances, I'm sure you understand."

Lloyd just sighed and picked up the pen to fill out the additional paperwork while Cecile looked at a shaken Suzaku Kururugi with concern. She could easily understand why he was distraught right now; he was supposed to end the life of the man who had been his instructor as a child. The teen just sat there with a glazed over expression as he recalled times that he had been sparring with Todoh in the Kururugi Shrine's dojo when he was younger. Even though he was still a child at the time, his teacher had not gone easy on him and, as a result, Suzaku was on the ground in a matter of seconds.

He was stirred from his flashback by a large explosion somewhere within the prison compound.

"What the hell was that?!" The bureaucrat cried.

"Well, at least we don't have to do anymore paper work." Lloyd said gleefully.

Xxx

They saw smoke rising from a large breach in the wall of the courtyard as a squad of Sutherlands was deployed to intercept what had caused the explosion. Before the pilots could even comment on what had happened a barrage of bullets flew through the smoke, cutting down most of the squad. Before the remaining Sutherlands could do anything two custom looking Knightmare frames emerged from the smoke armed with swords that slashed through the remaining Sutherlands. Two came from the smoke behind them and the four of slashed or short their way through the Britannian forces, all the while making it look like they were dancing instead of fighting.

"Colonel…" Chiba muttered, the female sword leading the charge, as the Four Holy Swords piloted the new, top of the line Gekkas against the Britannian Sutherlands that had come out to halt them in their advance "We're coming to save you!"

"These Gekkas are awesome!" Asahina praised, the bespectacled sword weaving between the Sutherlands like greased lightning, his Knightmare's sword cleaving them in two before they could even mount a counter attack "Way superior to Burai's!"

"You got that right!" Urabe grinned, the spiky haired sword tearing through the ranks of Sutherlands like a lion through a herd of zebras while a silent, but nonetheless impressed Senba mopping up his own share of enemies with equal ferocity.

While the Holy Swords knew that they were drawing the enemy's fire away from the rest of the Black Knights, they understood that it was a necessary price to pay in order to liberate their leader from certain death.

Xxx

"These guys are good." Naruto said as he watched the battle from his cockpit. "Guess Kallen's not the only bad ass pilot around here."

The plan was surprisingly simple even though it was easier said than done. First they find out when the guards change shifts, plant explosives on the walls in which the Four Holy Swords would be the first to move in and clear away all resistance as Lelouch slipped in and rescue Todoh. And if Suzaku, Rai, or any elite pilots tried to stop them Naruto and C.C. would step in and provide cover until Todoh was brought to the Gekka built for him. If they had had enough time they would finish off the Lancelot and the Club before enemy reinforcements could arrive and cut them off but Lelouch had already set up lookouts to inform them the first sign of enemy units moving to intercept them and they'd retreat at the first opportunity.

"They can handle the ordinary units. It's the special ones we should be watching." C.C. replied. "We know they are here." As C.C. looked at the prison facility her Rinnegan spotted two familiar red lights. "Naruto, I think Rolo's here."

"Hm? A Geass assassin here? Guess I shouldn't be surprised. They must have known we'd pull off something like this." Naruto noted.

"Shouldn't we warn the Four Holy Swords?" Kallen asked.

"We'll step in as soon as they reveal themselves on the battlefield as planned, Kallen. We could give ourselves away too soon." C.C. replied.

"Yeah but…" Kallen sighed. "I don't like waiting like this."

"Who doesn't?" Naruto rhetorically asked.

Xxx

"My superiors have ordered that you be 'unofficially' executed before you're busted out of here." A guard muttered, this one slightly more competent than the one from before, though Todoh really could have cared less as the bullet proof glass was raised, the Colonel staring down the barrel of the man's gun without fear "Any last words?"

"None." Todoh admitted, the captured Colonel's eyes calm, lined with resolve and acceptance of his fate as he matched gazes with his executioner "It's a life I gave up once before…It's worth nothing."

"In that case I'll claim your life for myself!"A voice called out.

Todoh's eyes widened in surprise as the wall behind the guard collapsed, crushing the screaming soldier beneath a pile of debris, the Colonel's eyes narrowing as he looked up to see…

Nothing.

His eyes widened in shock as a Knightmare he had never seen before appeared with its hand through the hole it created with blue sparks traveling down its form for a second and the masked man who stepped out of the opened cockpit in its chest. "Zero."

"Todoh Kyoshiro." The masked vigilante greeted, his modulated tone laced with a type of reverence "The hero of Japan that seven years ago brought the mighty Britannian forces to their knees in defeat."

"You mean Itsukushima?" The Colonel pointed out, his eyes hardening as he glared up at the masked man's cloaked form, already guessing what he was after "You want me to perform a miracle for you as well?"

"That was no miracle." Zero countered, waving his hand. "It ended in victory because it was based on excellent intelligence work, and that's why I cannot allow you to be killed."

"I pledged my loyalty to General Katase." Todoh countered. "Now that he and the JLF are dead, I wish to die too."

"Don't be a coward!" Zero shouted, causing Todoh to glare at him in rage. "You must take responsibility for the miracle that you made! The Area 11 resistance movement is greater than that of any other conquered area because Japan surrendered before exhausting all of its military strength. You have failed to carry on the Miracle of Itsukushima."

"Are you saying that it is my fault?" Todoh asked calmly but Lelouch could see the growing anger in his eyes.

"Yes, people grasp at illusions because they are desperate for miracles. Why else has there been such rampant use of Refrain? You must endeavor to the bitter end, beyond all that is decent, then, and only then, can you die. Until the name of Todoh the Miracle Worker has grown ragged and tattered." Lelouch continued.

"You're telling Japanese people cannot accept their defeat until then?" Todoh questioned, his anger forgotten.

"Until now they had to accept it. However, now that I am here there is hope since I can likely turn their dreams into a reality." Zero put his hand on his chest.

Todoh stared at Zero for a second…before he smirked.

Standing up with a renewed sense of purpose Todoh slowly walked to the lowered hand of Zero's Knightmare. He slipped into the cockpit that was cramped with the two of them but Lelouch was still able to pilot the Arashikage just fine as he stood it up and activated the stealth system while remembering what Rakshata had shown him.

Xxx

_"A stealth system? One that makes Knightmares invisible?!" Kallen exclaimed. "You're joking, right?"_

_"I never joke about my children." Rakshata said as she raised a remote and smirked at the gobsmacked reactions of Lelouch and Kallen as the Arashikage literally vanished before their eyes and reappeared a minute later._

_"How?" Lelouch asked._

_"The Oberon Frame was not the only project the Ashfords were working on. The Mirage Project was the first attempt to create a full functional stealth system that theoretically would render a Knightmare invisible by bending electromagnetic waves as they passed through it in all directions, making light pass through it. It was of course still in the experimental stages when the Ashfords lost their nobility as they could not generate enough power in the Knightmares used back then." Rakshata explained with a pleased grin. "However thanks to the increased powers granted by Core Radiance we can not only build a Knightmare advanced enough for it but it'll have enough power for use of its weapons even if it is invisible."_

_"So Lelouch can turn invisible with no chance of the enemy finding him." Naruto noted. "He doesn't have to worry about cover as he monitors the battlefield. And he can attack from the shadows where no one is looking."_

_Lelouch looked at the Arashikage, his mind going over the multiple scenarios of how the Phantom Coil system could be used in combat. "Can it be equipped in any of the other Knightmares?"_

_Kallen looked at Rakshata, wondering if she could get the Guren outfitted with one but to her disappointment Rakshata shook her head. "Not without a complete overhaul. I imagine that Lloyd's Lancelot would be the only one that could generate the necessary power without the use of Core Radiance but for now the Guren wouldn't be able to generate enough power for the Phantom Coil and still have enough left to fight. The Phantom Coil uses a lot of power and to be able to use it you'd have shut down almost all other power systems. I imagine trying to turn them back on in the middle of a battle would be dangerous."_

_"I see. So then, Arashikage for now is the only one armed with this stealth technology. While it's disappointing that we can't equip our other Knightmares with it at the very least the fact that you developed it and not Britannia still presents a large advantage." Lelouch said as he looked at his new Knightmare. "We'll just have to keep on using the element of surprise."_

Xxx

'And we're using it to our fill advantage.' Lelouch thought. 'I was able to make it through the courtyard without being detected, proving that the Phantom Coil system work perfectly.'

He activated the turbines on the back of Arashikage's legs that released streams of fire that propelled it out of the facility. Instead of Landspinners the Arashikage used Hover Jets attached to the back of its legs for fast mobility that was actually faster than Landspinners and the Phantom Coil system allowed it to move fast without being seen. The best part was that the Hover Jets didn't need fuel and didn't take up any power when used with the Phantom Coil system.

"It can fly?" Todoh asked, watching as the Arashikage moved out of the prison.

"Indeed it can. We've been hard at work to create advanced Knightmares in our fight against Britannia." Lelouch answered as he switched on the radio. "Todoh is with me and we're leaving the prison. Is his Gekka ready?"

"_It's all ready, Zero._" Inoue answered. "_And Zero we have company! It's the white Knightmare Kururugi pilots and it's not alone!_"

Todoh's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Zero. "Kururugi? Suzaku?"

"I'm afraid so, Todoh. Suzaku Kururugi has joined with the enemy and he's the pilot of one of their advanced Knightmares." Lelouch answered as brought up the tactical map. "Are Kallen, Seizan, and Shinryoku in position?"

"_Yes and they're moving to intercept._"

"Very well, I'll join them on the battlefield as soon as I have brought Todoh to his Knigthmare." Zero switched off the radio.

"A Knightmare?" Todoh questioned.

"One prepared for you." Lelouch answered with a smirk.

Xxx

"RAI!"

Rai jumped at the sound of Nonnette's voice as she entered the hangar. "Yes, Lady Enneagram?"

"I told you to call me by my name! We have Black Knights attacking!" Nonnette snapped as she smiled. "Suit up, boy! Time we take the fight to them!"

As Rai ran towards the Lancelot Club Nonnette turned to the other Knightmare in the hangar. "I guess this just leaves us."

Xxx

"_They are here. Take out the Holy Swords and then be ready for Zero's Aces._"

"Understood." Rolo answered as he entered the Vincent's cockpit. "Vincent launching."

Xxx

Kallen, C.C. and Naruto rushed into the courtyard, taking out several Sutherlands as a large trailer sped through the gap in the wall which the Gekkas surrounded in a triangular formation. Lelouch piloted the Arashikage to the trailer as it opened up, revealing a black Gekka with red hair like extensions and a katana like weapon. The katana was actually an MVS sword like the ones that Naruto and C.C.'s Knightmares that Rakshata designed just for Todoh. The veteran jumped out of Lelouch's cockpit as soon as it was opened and landed on the shoulder of his new Knightmare.

"_Colonel!_" Chiba's voice cried as her cockpit opened.

"Welcome back, Colonel Todoh." Asashina said happily.

"Thank you, all of you. You all worked so hard for this." Todoh said solemnly.

"No effort at all sir." Senba chuckled but looked confused as he tried to find Zero's Knightmare. "Where's Zero?"

"He's here." Todoh answered. "Now let's show the Black Knights how the Holy Swords dance!"

Just as he said that four Knightmares and a squad of Gloucesters came out of the hangar of the building and charged forward. One was the Lancelot followed by the Lancelot Club followed by a golden painted Knightmare holding two spears in its hands and the other was colored pink with a shield in one hand and the other held a MVS sword resembling a claymore. Both of the new Knightmares heavily resembled the Lancelot and looked just as advanced.

"Two more of them?" Kallen asked.

"Well, they're bringing out the big guns." Naruto smirked. "And the golden Knightmare, the pilot is a Geass user."

"It's most likely Rolo. Naruto and I can handle him but we'll have to move fast. They must have known we were coming so they had a trap set." C.C. stated. "We need to hurry and get clear."

"Very well." Lelouch said, the Arashikage's Phantom Coil still active, keeping it invisible to the enemy. "Todoh, we'll cover you as take down the Lancelot, the white Knightmare piloted by Kururugi. The rest of us will deal with the other Knightmares."

"Understood." Todoh nodded, knowing that Zero asked him to go after Suzaku because he knew how the boy fought.

Meanwhile the enemy was conversing with their own plans to take down the Black Knights and the Four Holy Swords.

"All right, Kururugi, Rai and Vincent, you're with me. We're going to subdue the enemy while the rest of the group surrounds them and cuts off their escape." Nonnette said from the cockpit of the Frontier. It wasn't designed for her but she took it when she found out that a pilot had not been picked for testing the Frontier.

"Right." Suzaku and Rai answered.

"Understood."

"Now let's see if the Black Knights truly live up to their claim. Attack!" Nonnette commanded with a predatory grin on her face.

Suzaku was the first attack, firing his VARIS rifle at Todoh's Gekka but the Colonel moved his frame out of the way and wheeled past the Lancelot as it clashed with one of the Holy Swords. He tried to blast it at close range but the Gekka jumped over the Lancelot and wheeled away.

"They're skilled fighters." Suzaku said, knowing better than anyone how strong anyone would be under his old sensei.

Xxx

"Oh my. Aren't those new enemy models?" Lloyd watched the battle through his binoculars. "However Miss Cecile…"

"Yes?" Cecile asked.

"In hindsight it's certainly quite fortunate that the Lancelot's trailer is our primary means of transport." Lloyd continued.

"No it's because you spent our entire budget on the Lancelot itself. That's not hindsight." Cecile replied dully.

Xxx

"That's it? The white Knightmare that's been getting in Zero's way?" Rakshata asked, not at all impressed by the Lancelot.

After all her children were better than Lloyd's little toy in every way.

"Uh, yeah." Ohgi answered.

Xxx

Euphemia watched the battle at the prison continued with Suzaku, Nonnette, and Rai attempting to stop the Black Knights. While everyone else cheered them on Euphemia looked concerned while Darlton was on the phone. "Listen, send in everything we've got to support them and make a report that we're wiping out the terrorists."

Xxx

C.C. narrowed her eyes as her fans clashed with the two spears the Vincent held. Once her fans caught the spears C.C. had Shinryoku jump up, kicking the Vincent in the face which knocked it back as Shinryoku spun through the air and landed perfectly on its feet. "You're skills are primarily in assassination, Rolo. Even if you are able to pilot that thing well it's nothing compared to me."

Rolo grunted as the green Knightmare came at him and activated his Geass. "I have you now."

However to his shock Shinryoku did not slow and C.C. smirked and as had Shrinyoku leap forward, spinning her hands and nearly slashed both the Vincent's hands off. "It didn't work! If so then is the pilot…the pilot is female. It must be C.C.!"

Rolo barely managed to move the arms out of the way and fired a Slash Harken, think he could hit C.C. at close range but C.C elegantly spun out of the, smirking as she activated her Asura power and manifesting two long metal whips from her wrists that she flung at the Vincent, wrapping them around the golden frame and spun it around in a circle before letting it go and watching as it slammed into the wall. Rolo grunted as his head slammed into the pilot chair from the impact and felt a nasty headache. Looking up he watched as C.C. fired two harkens at him. He stood the Vincent up in time to dodge but one harken managed to scratch the Vincent's right shoulder and embedded itself in the wall. However that was what C.C. was planning, allowing her Shinryoku to be pulled forward as it leapt up and aimed its foot at the Vincent's 'face'.

Rolo grunted as he ducked the Vincent out of the way and tried to stab Shinryoku but C.C. activated her Landspinners and traveled up, dodging Rolo's spears and kicked off the wall. She spun Shinryoku in the air, its whips coming into contact with the Vincent again, viciously slapping the golden frame back and leaving a nasty scar on the chest.

Xxx

"It damaged my Vincent!" Lloyd shouted, seeing the scar on the Vincent's chest. "It damaged my Vincent! IT DAMAGED MY VINCENT!"

Cecile was too shocked to calm Lloyd down and she was a little angry herself at how easy it was for that green Knightmare to damage the Knightmare she and Lloyd worked so hard to build.

Xxx

'Anything you can build, Lloyd, I can destroy with my superior children.' Rakshata smirked.

Xxx

Rolo quickly wheeled back and activated the Needle Brazers. "Target confirmed. C.C. is with the Black Knights and is piloting the green Knightmare."

He fired Brazers, releasing bursts of energy that flew towards Shinryoku and C.C. reacted by holding up her fans, releasing chakra and radiant energy that formed a shield, blocking the energy bolts. "You're unprepared, Rolo. You and V.V. have no idea what you're meddling in."

In the meantime Lelouch worked on sending Todoh and the Four Holy Swords data on the Lancelot to better fight it and the fact that Todoh knew how Suzaku fought was allowing them to anticipate Suzaku's moves.

"PROVIDENCE System, activated." Lelouch said as the screen in front of him showed the IFF signals of all allied Knightmares in the courtyard. "Everyone, I'm sending you all data on the enemy Knightmares we're facing. We've only gathered data on the Knightmare Kururugi is piloting and the white and blue Knightmare but even so I've managed to gather information on their strengths and weaknesses."

The PROVIDENCE system was an advanced Factsphere System Rakshata developed to link itself with the Factspheres of allied Knightmares and allowed Lelouch to instantly send data to his allies as he directed his forces on the battlefield and analyzed enemy formations. It's why the cockpit was located in the chest; Arashikage's Factsphere scans the battle field and sends the information right down to Lelouch. It had bio, thermal, and electromagnetic scanning capabilities designed to scan the battlefield with a complete one hundred percent detail and bring it up in the form of 3-D Dimensional Tactical Map that allowed Lelouch to know just about everything happening on the battlefield. It also allowed for the Arashikage to be piloted with extreme ease and allowed the Arashikage to move with faster reactions to Lelouch's commands and battle situations, scanning the battlefield and coming up with the fastest recommendations of how to react. Lelouch had already uploaded his knowledge of the Lancelot's capabilities and to his shock and excitement it was coming with the fastest instructions of how to take down the white Knightmare.

"Understood." Todoh answered, upon receiving the information from Lelouch.

Suzaku gritted his teeth as a Gekka slapped his VARIS rifle out of his hand and he immediately jumped back to attack from a distance. Just as he landed on the ground his senses screamed at him to turn around just as Todoh's Gekka came out of the corner and plunged its sword into the cockpit. Suzaku yelled out as the sword destroyed the top of his cockpit, barely missing him.

Xxx

"We installed an ejection system, right?!" Cecile asked anxiously.

"Of course we did. You made it a priority!" Lloyd quickly answered.

Xxx

"Suzaku, I do understand why you fight on the enemy's side but that will not stop me from raising my sword to defeat you." Todoh stated as he pulled his sword back.

With that said Todoh and the Holy Swords continued their attack, pushing Suzaku back and taking out any Gloucesters or Sutherlands that got in their way. Kallen went up against the Lancelot Club and knew that its fighting style was similar to the Lancelot's, thus she knew what she needed to do. First she anticipated the opening move and jumped over the Club, while in the air she pulled out her Raijin Sword and activated its long feature. She then spun the Guren around and released a crimson wave of red lightning shaped like an arc that the Club barely dodged as it jumped out of the way.

"Rai, I know you and Suzaku are nice guys at school." Kallen said as she landed on the ground. "But I won't let you stop me."

She moved forward through the smoke, with Lelouch sending her data showing that Rai would reach for his own VARIS rifle as the Guren came out and activated her Wave Surger, holding her claw out in front of her. Just as Lelouch predicted Rai held out his VARIS rifle and fired just as she came out of the smoke. It collided with her Wave Surger and the two forces struggled for dominance while Kallen fired another lightning wave just as Rai fired.

"Oh no!" Rai's eyes widened as he barely managed to activate his Blaze Luminous to block the attack. Kallen stabbed her Raijin sword forward, colliding with Blaze Luminous shield.

"Activating Shield Breaker." Kallen said as changed the mode on the sword.

After discovering the weakness in the Blaze Luminous Rakshata designed a setting on the Raijin Sword to emit an endless burst of electricity to scatter the particles that allowed the Blaze Luminous to function. It provided an opening in the shield and allowed Kallen to stab the emitter in the Club's right hand.

"Gah!" Rai grunted as he wheeled back. "I've lost my left emitter!"

"Now it's over." Kallen said as she rushed forward. "If I take out that frame right now it'll be one less problem to deal with."

Rai looked up and saw Kallen was just in front of him. Doing the only think he thought he fired his Slash Harken at Guren's cockpit that Kallen tried to dodge but it Harken was close enough to slice into the edge of the cockpit.

"Gah!" Kallen gritted her teeth as she flinched from the sparks coming down on her but thankfully it didn't tear her cockpit like Suzaku's. "Damn it!" She looked to her right and saw the tear that could have cut her in half if she hadn't moved fast enough. "That was too close. I have to finish this now."

Rai opened the hatch of his cockpit as Kallen moved to attack again just as the Club wheeled forward to meet the Guren. Just as Kallen lashed with her claw the Club jumped to the side where the tear in the Guren's cockpit was as Rai's left eye suddenly flared red with the Geass crest. "Stop!"

As this happened Naruto who was fighting with Nonnette and several Gloucesters spotted a red light coming out of the Club and engulf the Guren as Kallen was mere inches from finishing it. "That light…Not again!"

"Rai has activated his Geass." C.C. frowned as she blocked another blast from Rolo. "If the enemy is getting serious then I believe play time is over."

"Rai's activated his Geass?" Lelouch asked, seeing the Guren suddenly stop. "Kallen? Kallen, what's wrong?"

The sound of Rai's voice carried through the tear in the cockpit and the instant Kallen heard it a red circular outline appeared in her eyes as she completely stopped, remaining still.

"I…I stopped her." Rai realized what happened. "I did this. I stopped her."

"Kallen, answer me!" Lelouch shouted. 'Damn it, now of all times! Rai's Geass must have frozen her like Rolo's does. Then if that's the case then only Naruto or C.C. can erase what happened if it doesn't wear off. I could use my Geass to order Kallen to break free but I need eye contact with Kallen to order her to break free.'

If things wasn't looking bad enough before it got worse as three Gloucesters surrounded Kallen.

"C.C., Naruto. I need you to rescue Kallen." Lelouch opened his private channel.

"Can't, not done with the pink knight here." Naruto answered as he clashed swords with Nonnette.

"You're a big boy with a Knightmare now, Lelouch. You can actually help." C.C. said as she blocked another blast from Rolo with her fans.

Getting tired of Rai shooting her C.C. had Shinyroku jump up and threw her fans sending her chakra through her Frame. "**Wind Style: Great Wind Breakthrough.**"

The blast of wind accelerated the fans through the air, making them too fast for Rolo to dodge as they sliced through the Needle Brazers and cutting into the forearms and overloading the Needle Brazers which caused a small explosion on both arms.

"Gah!" Rolo grunted as he wheeled back. "I can't do anything else. I have to retreat."

"_Very well._" His superior's voice answered. "_Retreat. We have confirmation C.C. is with the Black Knights._"

C.C. watched as the Vincent spun around and wheeled away. "Typical Rolo. Running away when he's outmatched."

"Damn it!" Lelouch banged his fists on his console when he saw no one could move to help Kallen. "I have no choice. I have to move fast."

A Gloucester raised its lance to finish Kallen off who couldn't move due the effects of Rai's Geass but before it could impale the Guren something slammed into it and knocked it down.

"Huh? What was-" One of the pilots started to say but stopped as something appeared in front of the downed Guren.

It appeared as a figure of blue electricity before shimmering into the form of Zero's new personal Knightmare Frame.

Xxx

"Huh?! Where did that come from?" Cecile asked, shocked at how the new Knightmare literally appeared out of thin air. "Some sort of camouflage device?"

"Impossible. All attempts to create a fully functional stealth device have failed." Lloyd frowned as _another_ Knightmare with impossible new abilities appeared. 'This is not far! Where are these Knightmares coming from?! And how come I haven't thought them up!?'

Xxx

"Knightmare Frame Arashikage." Rakshata spoke proudly as everyone in the mobile headquarters watched the battle. "Built personally for Zero to pilot with the latest developments in stealth technology. The Phantom Coil system seems to work perfectly since no one knew it was there before it was deactivated."

"A Knightmare that can turn invisible?! Wow!" Tamaki punched a fist in the air. "You get 'em Zero!"

Xxx

Lelouch watched as the two Gloucesters in front of him aimed their rifles at him. "Here goes nothing!"

He rapidly typed away at his console, having Arashikage raise its right arm with its hand held out in front of its face. The jewel in its hand glowed bright as the Gloucesters fired their rifles but to their shock the bullets stopped just short of hitting the arm and hovered in mid-air.

"Huh?!" One of the pilots, Marika Soresi, the younger sister of Kewel Soresi gasped in shock at seeing the bullets stopping like they had just done. "It blocked our bullets!"

"Impossible!" The second pilot shouted.

Lelouch typed into command the bullets were sent flying back to their origin, piercing their frames and forcing Marika and the other pilot, Liliana Vergamon to eject as their frames fell backwards onto the ground.

Xxx

"My Inertia Dampening Field, emitting a powerful electromagnetic field that blocks any form of projectile attack." Rakshata smirked. 'I reverse engineered my Radiant Wave Surger to project the field in a way to that stops all attacks, expanding it to create a wall to protect a single frame or more than one depending on if the emitters in both hands are used. Rueben Ashford is a very smart man to have come up with an idea to counter the VARIS rifle that Lloyd and Cecile created and I modified it a bit with a few ideas of my own and of course enhanced it.'

Xxx

'With this I can effectively block and deflect almost anything. A combination of offence and defence.' Lelouch marvelled at how effective the IDF worked against enemy weapons. 'Now that I have revealed myself I have no choice but to defend Kallen until either C.C. or Naruto can break her free of the Geass holding her. At first we thought Rai couldn't use his Geass but perhaps there was a reason he couldn't use it before.' Lelouch glanced at the Guren and noticed the open tear in the cockpit and then the Club's cockpit that closed back down. 'He opened his cockpit to use his Geass and the tear was enough to open the cockpit enough to…Rai's voice! His Geass only works with his voice and since he needed to open his cockpit it can only be used with his real voice, not speakers or recordings.'

That was why Rai opened his cockpit and tried to attack Kallen's, he needed an opening for his Geass to work.

'In that case it's better for me to keep my distance.' Lelouch smirked. 'It's a good thing Arashikage was designed for long-mid range fights anyways.'

Rai held an MVS sword in his remaining hand as he moved to attack Zero's Knightmare as Lelouch disengaged the IDF system but the jewel continued to glow as some kind of wide spread energy field reached out and touched the Club. The Club was suddenly halted and slowly lifted off the ground as it was pulled through the air towards the Arashikage.

"Wh-what?!" Rai struggled to make the Club move. "What's happening?! I've lost control! I can't move!"

Xxx

"Is it lifting the Club up? How is that possible?" Cecile gasped, seeing the new Knightmare lifting the Club up with.

"That's impossible…Unless it's using some form of electromagnetic system." Lloyd narrowed his eyes. "A tractor beam."

"A tractor beam? But how?" Cecile asked, looking at Lloyd.

"Therein lies the problem, Cecile. Such technology should be impossible and yet I can see evidence that Rakshata has somehow made it work since it seems to be based off her Radiant Wave technology." Lloyd spotted the emitters in the palms of the Knightmare's hands.

Xxx

'The Magnetic Attraction System that works opposite of the IDF system, latching onto any Knightmare Frames in range that paralyzes them instantly when the magnetic beam latches onto them and disables them. Rakshata modified her Wave Surger to generate a magnetic beam that can lift and pull any Knightmare towards me, temporarily disabling the working systems of the frame until I release it.' Lelouch thought as he pulled the Club towards Arashikage's hand. 'The ability to attract and repel enemy frames, effectively making Arashikage a dangerous frame.' Lelouch's smirk widened.

Suzaku was in the midst of trying to battle off Todoh and the Four Holy Swords when he spotted the Club being lifted up by the strange new Knightmare. "Rai! Hang on!"

The Lancelot quickly dodged an attack from Chiba and wheeled towards the Arashikage.

"Zero, Kururugi's moving towards you!" Todoh shouted through the radio.

Lelouch's eyes widened when he spotted the Lancelot wheeling towards him.

'Sorry Suzaku.' Lelouch thought as he reactivated IDF system and repelled the Club and sent it flying across the courtyard and straight towards the Lancelot. 'Instead of relying on weaponry like rifles and swords the Arashikage relies on its power to turn any enemy's weapon against them, even their own Frames.'

Suzaku gasped as he stopped the Lancelot and spun out of the way, catching the Club but its foot and barely managing to stay on its feet. "Rai, are you okay?"

The Club landed on its back, earning a grunt from the pilot. "Yeah. Thanks Suzaku."

"We need to neutralize that Knightmare." Suzaku stated as they faced the Arashikage.

"What about Todoh?"

The Gekkas piloted by Todoh and the Four Holy Swords were moving to attack but stopped as a barrage of bullets came down from the sentry towers.

"Damn it! They're reorganizing!" Todoh grumbled as the Gekkas began evading the bullets.

'This is not what I hope for.' Lelouch thought as he stared down both Knightmares. 'Suzaku and Rai, both piloting advanced Knightmares and this is my first time piloting the Arashikage even if I've read up on all its capabilities.'

'This Knightmare is powerful. It can turn invisible, create a barrier to block any attack, and it can even somehow lift Knightmares off the ground. I can't let it get away.' Suzaku thought.

'I can't reactivate the Phantom Coil System with Kallen still paralyzed. I have to go on the offensive.' Lelouch reluctantly conceded as he activated the Arashikage's offensive weaponry. 'Elemental Manipulation System, activated.'

Xxx

"Hm?" Rakshata's eyebrow perked up, seeing the Arashikage's shoulder panels open up and reveal the cylinder cannons. "So Zero's activating the weapon system?"

"The weapon system?" Ohgi asked.

"Yes. I designed the Arashikage to function as a mid to long range Knightmare." Rakshata answered with a smirk.

Xxx

"Elemental Manipulation System, Bolt Mode activated." Lelouch said as he targeted the two Knightmares, hearing the sound of the turbines in the cannons starting to spin.

Upon seeing the shoulder cannons on the Knightmare Suzaku and Rai sped forward to attack. Suzaku jumped forward to launch a kick but Lelouch raised the Arashikage's arm, activating the IDF system and repelling the Lancelot. The computer beeped as it spotted the Club coming at the Arashikage from the other side.

"Now!" Lelouch said as he aimed and fired.

From the shoulder cannons came two bolts of bright blue lightning that raced towards the Club. Rai's eyes widened as he held out his other arm and activated the Blaze Luminous that blocked the twin lightning bolts but the force of the blow caused the Club to slide back into the wall.

"It's like the red Knightmare's sword!" Suzaku's eyes widened in shock as he stopped the Lancelot, now wary of the new Knightmare.

'It works!' Lelouch breathed a sigh of relief as he turned and faced Suzaku. 'I can keep Suzaku back with this.'

Suzaku now knew that the Knightmare he was facing was dangerous and couldn't be taken lightly. And he wasn't the only one as a squad of Sutherlands moved to try and attack the Knightmare.

'I can't take them with Bolt mode and they're spreading out.' Lelouch thought as he switched to another mode. "Torch mode, activated!"

The Arashikage's shoulder cannons glowed bright red as the Sutherlands moved to circle around it and the second it was fully charged the cannons spewed out streams of fire that spread out in a blazing blast of orange blinding light that forced the pilots to stop and wheel back for fear of getting burned.

"It's a flamethrower too!" Suzaku exclaimed. The flames flared around the Arashikage, giving off the appearance of an armored bat with its visor/face staring at him in a way that reminded him of Zero's mask. "I have to get in close before it uses its shield."

'Damn it, Suzaku. You just won't quit.' Lelouch said as he changed the Element system to another mode. "I don't want to fight you but I can't let you stop me. Elemental Manipulation System, Sub-Zero mode activated."

The Lancelot held both MVS swords as it wheeled forward as Suzaku thought over what he should do. If he could get in behind the Knightmare and take the red one hostage he could force the terrorists to stand down. The Knightmare faced him its cannons glowed bright blue and Suzaku knew it was about to attack and prepared to maneuver out of the way. The cannons fired, released a blast of icy white wind that did not hit the Lancelot but the ground in between the two Knightmares, freezing the ground in a sheet of ice that the Lancelot wheeled over as it tried to maneuver.

However the ice was very slippery and Suzaku let out a yelp as the Lancelot tripped forward, unable to balance from how fast it was moving and skidded on the ground assed the Arashikage. The Lancelot was on a direct course for the wall that would no doubt damage the Lancelot and injure its pilot greatly. And Lelouch probably knew that because he raised Arashikage's hand and activated the MAS stop pull the Lancelot through the air towards the hand and then stopped the Lancelot from crashing into the Arashikage by activating the IDS, repelling and knocking it into the Club as it managed to stand back up.

"Sorry, Suzaku." Lelouch whispered, relieved his friend would be all right.

Battered but alive.

Xxx

"It's like the sword that red Knightmare has and it can switch to using a flamethrower and a freeze gun!" Lloyd thought as he grinned with envy and awe as a bit of drool came down his mouth.

Xxx

"Elemental Manipulation System. It basically takes what was used to construct the Guren's Raijin sword but is modified to have alternative modes. Combined with my Radiant Wave system the cannons on the Arashikage's shoulders basically have four modes. Bolt, Torch, Sub-Zero, and Aero. The turbines in the cannons take in the air and particles from the atmosphere itself." Rakshata explained with a grin. "The inner mechanisms of the cannons will then heat or cool the air for two modes, gather electrical particles from the air to charge the cannons for another mode, or compress the particles into a single burst. In short it's a multipurpose weapon with an all range purpose in mind. I have added a variety of them to the back of the Arashikage to act as rockets without the need for fuel."

Xxx

Meanwhile Nonnette was engaged with the blue Knightmare but something caught her eyesight as she clashed with Naruto.

"Rai!" Nonnette narrowed her eyes as she saw the Lancelot collide with the Club. She would have moved to attack Zero right then and there but Naruto was in her way.

'These Knights of the Round are really good.' Naruto thought as he clashed with Nonnette's sword again. 'She's definitely a skilled opponent.'

They had mostly relied on their swords for fighting as they literally danced around each other, swinging their blades sparkling off each hit clash. Even though Naruto could fall back on his Ninjutsu he preferred fair fights in one on one battles and only used Ninjutsu if it was necessary or if he had retreat quickly. He jumped over Nonnette's blade and spun Seizan through the air, its foot aiming to kick the Frontier in the torso but Nonnette raised the Frontier's shield, blocking the block but the force sent the Frontier staggering back. Nonnette raised her shield which fired a missile at Seizan but Naruto moved it out of the way with such speed that Nonnette almost lost sight of him as he slashed both MVS swords at the Frontier again.

Nonnette blocked with her sword and fired her hip Slash Harkens to create some distance. Naruto admitted he didn't see that coming but he was still able to block, slashing at the Harkens with his swords as the Frontier slid back.

"_Lady Nonnette, we have reinforcements coming._" A voice over the radio spoke.

"Take your time, I'm actually having fun here." Nonnette replied, actually enjoying her fight. It had been so long since anyone other than Bismark was able to fight her like this and push her to her limits.

"_Zero, you have to move. They're scrambling reinforcements._" Ohgi's voice came through the speakers of Lelouch's cockpit.

"Understood. Everyone fall back, we have to move. Now." Lelouch stated. He looked to the entrance and spotted a large number of Gloucesters and Sutherlands moving in to surround them. 'It's a trap. They knew we'd try and rescue Todoh and planned ahead just in case. They're getting smarter and more cautious.'

"Well then, time to unveil the little surprise." Naruto smirked as he made a hand sign. "To quote a certain pyro maniac from my home: Katsu!"

The prison complex was rocked with explosions that covered the courtyard with explosions. As this happened the hundreds of prisoners were greeted with the surprise of their cell doors opening and a sudden blast in the ground creating a large hole.

"What in the hell-" A guard shouted as the few prison guards moved to find out what caused the blast.

Out of the hole came a cloaked man wearing a black and white fox mask. "Attention all prisoners. For anyone who wants an early parole granted to you by Zero take it now!"

"Stop them!" A guard raised his gun but the masked strange spread his arm out, releasing a barrage of shuriken either slit the throats or embedded themselves in the heads of the guards, killing them instantly.

"Does anyone else have any objections?" The masked man asked rhetorically.

The prisoners didn't need to be told twice as they ran out of their cells and jumped down the hole. In the meantime the smoke from the courtyard finally faded and when it was gone the Black Knights were all gone and a large hole was in the middle of the courtyard created from the explosion.

"They set up bombs underneath the complex to escape through the sewers. They must have thought we'd be setting a trap." Nonnette smirked. "This Zero's really interesting."

Suzaku stood up from his torn open cockpit as he looked around the devastation. "Todoh-sensei, I'm…your enemy now."

Xxx

The art gallery Princess Euphemia had been hosting had been still with silence as they had watched the battle in the courtyard of the prison with stunned awe. The muttering had continued, especially when the cockpit of the Lancelot had been torn open and showing its pilot to the world.

"Look they're running."

"Have we fought them off?"

"The Black Knights?"

'Suzaku, well done.' Euphemia thought but stiffened as she heard more comments.

"Damn traitor. Why won't he follow them?"

"Cause they're Elevens like him."

These hurtful comments caused Euphemia to tighten her hold on the bouquet she was holding and Darlton saw the look on her face. "Princess Euphemia?"

"All of you!" Euphemia called out, earning everyone's attention. "I'll now answer the question you asked me earlier. You had inquired as to who I select to be my Knight, correct?" Euphemia gestured to the screen. "The Knight I have chosen will be the young man you see before you, Warrant Officer Suzaku Kururugi."

Xxx

"What happened to Kallen?" Ohgi asked as he saw Zero's Knights lift Kallen out of the Guren's cockpit.

"The Guren froze up for reasons I cannot find. Perhaps the Britannians have a new weapon to disable Knightmares much like my own." Zero said as he gestured to the Arashikage. "In any event Rakshata has brought along several doctors who will look after Kallen. In the meantime we have work to do." Zero said as the sewer hatch opened and the Black Knights were silent in shock as people dressed in prisoner uniforms began climbing out of the hole without end. "Todoh was not the only prisoner to be liberated tonight. Over five hundred prisoners fled through the sewers thanks to the bombs that my knights as we scouted for ways to stage this rescue. They will need homes to stay and you'll be happy to know that they're all members of resistance groups that had fallen. Some of them are even generals from the now disbanded JLF that have sworn to aid us for rescuing them and Todoh. They will need proper housing as we help integrate them."

"Understood, Zero." Ohgi nodded.

"Oh yeah! The Black Knights win again!" Tamaki punched a fist in the air. "We rescued Todoh and all the prisoners and we've kicked Britannia's asses again!"

"Yes, you have." C.C. stated as Naruto carried Kallen onto the truck. "But now Britannia will be more determined than ever, recognizing us as a threat. We will have to lay low for some time."

"Don't worry about that. We came prepared." Rakshata smirked. "There are a few gifts from Kyoto I neglected to mention."

Xxx

Kallen was laid flat on the bed as Lelouch walked in. "How is she?"

"The good news is that she's not been damaged in any way. From what it I see the Geass has merely paralyzed her like her own Geass but Kallen doesn't seem aware of it, kind of like how no one is aware of being under your Geass, Lelouch." Naruto answered, sitting next to the bed.

"If it's similar to mine it can only work when Rai's voice is heard and since he forced Kallen's cockpit partially open it cannot be used with speakers or recordings." Lelouch noted. "It's fortunate that I had Arashikage's power with me to fend off her attackers."

"Yeah, you managed to work it out pretty fast. Of course Rakshata designed it for you to use personally so it's no surprise she customized the controls for you." Naruto commented.

"Of course I did and little Zero used it so well. The data I got back was very promising." Rakshata said as she walked in with C.C. "I'd love to see the look on Lloyd's face as he tries to figure out how to replicate the IDF, MAS, and the EMS. He'd probably never think to look into the old records of the Ashford Foundation and see what Knightmare plans that they had drawn up and no one could ever imagine creating a weapon that used the elements itself as a weapon."

"Well now that it works can we get to work on waking Kallen up?" Lelouch asked as he looked at Naruto and C.C.

"I got it." C.C. walked over to Kallen's side.

Everyone expected her to simply touch Kallen's head and use her powers to cancel the Geass effect on her. However C.C. decided to mess with them a bit and she had a grin on her face that made Naruto shiver. Needless to say everyone was shocked into silence as C.C. leaned down and kissed Kallen right on the lips. Lelouch's eyes widened as dinner plates, Rakshata raised one eyebrow, and Naruto started gaping and blushing from the way his girlfriend was kissing Kallen.

Kallen opened her eyes as the red outline in her eyes vanished and she felt someone's lips on her. Her eyes went wide and almost fell out when she saw the green hair and knew just who was kissing her.

C.C. pulled away before Kallen could slap her away and smirked at everyone. "There, all better."

"Did you have to do that?" Naruto sighed.

C.C. shrugged. "Why not?"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?! WHY'D YOU KISS ME LIKE THAT YOU CRAZY BITCH?!" Kallen shot up on the bed, her face now matching her hair in color.

"You were under a Geass command I freed you. Kind of like how the Prince gives the Princess a kiss to break the evil spell over her." C.C. answered simply.

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO STICK YOUR TONGUE INTO MY MOUTH!" Kallen shouted but shut her mouth with both hands when she realized what she said.

Naruto stuttered as he blushed even redder and now Lelouch was starting to have red cheeks. Rakshata simply threw her head back and laughed, thoroughly entertained by the people she decided to work with.

"It's not like it was the worst kiss you've ever had." C.C. simply said with her smirk still in place. "That being your first kiss and all. I must say, your lips taste a lot like strawberries"

Kallen sputtered as her blush intensified and her Geass flared as she prepared to leap out and strangle the life out of the green haired woman.

"Enough!" Lelouch called out, realizing he was going to have to be the adult here. "You can kill each other later." He had grown use to Naruto and C.C.'s antics so they didn't bother him as much but knew about Kallen's short temper and knew that if he didn't say something there would be a war right here in the room. "At least we now have information on how Rai's Geass works and with Todoh and the other prisoners liberated the Black Knights will only grow stronger."

"We made it?" Kallen asked, looking at Lelouch.

"We did and Naruto arranged an escape for the other prisoners. Almost all objectives have been completed now. We have an army now and with Rakshata's help and access to the Ashford Weapons Factory we can start working Britannia's downfall." Lelouch nodded with his signature smirk as the door opened.

In walked Sayoko wearing the same armor and cloak Naruto and C.C. wore as Zero's knights with Naruto's fox mask in her hand. "My mission was accomplished, Master Lelouch. The prisoners are moving to the underground shelters that were set up for them and some have expressed an interest in joining the Black Knights."

"Good work, Sayoko. With all of the prisoners liberated under Cornelia's watch her control over the Area will weaken and she'll be hard pressed to suppress any rumors that leak back to the homeland." Lelouch nodded with a satisfied smile.

"I think you're forgetting something, Lelouch." Naruto stated as he held up a kunai. "A little somehow who hopes to see you with all of her friends tonight?"

It only took Lelouch a second to realize what Naruto was talking about. "Nunnally's operation! She must be finished and awake by now!"

"Well then, better hurry." Naruto chuckled as he looked C.C. and Kallen while Lelouch moved to take off his Zero outfit. "When I say all of our friends I meant _all_ of them."

Kallen nodded as she moved to change out of her pilot suit, but not before giving C.C. one last glare. This was not over.


End file.
